Category : LATEST NEWS

METALLICA TO HEADLINE THE 5th ANNUAL GOLDEN GODS AWARDS

The fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone will take place Thursday, May 2nd, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live on national television through AXS TV and broadcast in the US and key international markets through Xbox LIVE and Facebook. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

Fozzy frontman and WWE pro-wrestling legend Chris Jericho will reprise his role as host for the fourth consecutive year. The nominees in 11 different fan-voted categories, plus the recipients of this year’s prestigious Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by Ernie Ball), Golden God Award (presented by Sumerian Records) and Riff Lord (presented by EMG Pickups), were revealed at a press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood in Los Angeles.

Host Chris Jericho was on hand, along with Sebastian Bach, Five Finger Death Punch, Halestorm, Scott Ian (Anthrax), Maria Brink and Chris Howorth (In This Moment), John 5 (Rob Zombie), Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) and Zakk Wylde to announce the nominees. Halestorm performed a special live set, including a guest appearance by Sebastian Bach on a cover of the Skid Row classic Slave to the Grind.

Fans everywhere can cast their vote to decide who will take home the awards for Best Guitarist (presented by Epiphone), Best Drummer (presented by Drum Workshop), Best Vocalist (presented by Rockstar Energy Drink), Album of the Year (presented by Orange Amplification), Song of the Year, Best Live Band (presented by Samson/Zoom), Best New Talent, Most Metal Athlete, (presented by Roadrunner Records), Comeback of the Year, Paul Gray Best Bassist (presented by Dean Markley) and Most Dedicated Fans (presented by Xbox LIVE).

Voting is now open at GoldenGodsAwards.com and ends April 15th.

The Golden God Award (presented by Sumerian Records), which is given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, will go to Rob Zombie, who commented, “What can I say? It is a complete honor to receive this award and have my name join the list of such legendary past winners as Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons. Pretty cool deal to be part of the Golden God club.” (The other previous honorees are Rob Halford of Judas Priest and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth.) Rob Zombie will be releasing his brand new album, Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (Zodiac Swan/T-Boy/Ume), on April 23rd, and his latest feature film, The Lords of Salem (Anchor Bay), on April 26th.

The Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by Ernie Ball), will go to hard-rock and metal icons Metallica, who will release the 3D movie Through the Never in August. (Previous honorees include Rush, Motley Crue, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and Ozzy Osbourne.)

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich commented, “Since the Revolver Golden Gods Awards is fast becoming THE most rocking awards ceremony in the hard rock world, we are beyond psyched to be at the receiving end of this shout out and in the distinguished company of Rush, Lemmy, Ozzy and Motley Crue. I was hanging out and presenting at the shenanigans two years ago and the energy in the room and the vibe backstage was beyond fucking cool, so Metallica is chomping at the bit to partake in this year’s event. Once again, we are honored to be recognized as achievers (!!) and we can’t wait to get up and jam onstage and sweat for and on everybody gathered.

The Riff Lord Award, (presented by EMG Pickups) is given each year to a legendary guitarist in the field of hard rock & heavy metal. This year it’s going to none other than Black Sabbath axeman, Tony Iommi, who had this to say about the honor, “What a great honor to receive the Golden Gods Riff Lord Award for 2013, especially with our new Sabbath album coming out. I hope there will be some new favorite riffs in these songs.” Slash of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver won the award last year.

Adding to the celebration, the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards show will feature one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honor both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night’s hard-rocking musical performances will include sets by Metallica, Five Finger Death Punch, Anthrax, Stone Sour, Dillinger Escape Plan and Halestorm, with more performers to be announced in the coming weeks.

Returning as well is the “Black Carpet” pre-show that will be hosted by legendary heavy-metal frontmen Sebastian Bach and Dee Snider. Bach and Snider will be interviewing all the nominees, honorees and performers on the Revolver Black Carpet before show time for the special, which will air on both AXS TV and Xbox LIVE.

The nominees for the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone are:

Best Guitarist presented by Epiphone:

• John 5 (Rob Zombie & solo)
• Stephen Carpenter (Deftones)
• Alex Lifeson (Rush)
• Misha Mansoor (Periphery)
• Brendon Small (Dethklok)
• Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)

Best Drummer presented by Drum Workshop:

• Abe Cunningham (Deftones)
• Mario Duplantier (Gojira)
• Arejay Hale (Halestorm)
• Gene Hoglan (Dethklok & Testament)
• Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour)
• Neil Peart (Rush)

Paul Gray Best Bassist presented by Dean Markley:

• Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill)
• Steve Harris (Iron Maiden & solo)
• Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead)
• Geddy Lee (Rush)
• Jason Newsted (Newsted)
• Sergio Vega (Deftones)

Best Vocalist presented by Rockstar Energy Drink:

• Phil Anselmo (Down & solo)
• Maria Brink (In This Moment)
• Chris Cornell (Soundgarden)
• Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
• Chino Moreno (Deftones)
• Corey Taylor (Stone Sour & Slipknot)

Best New Talent:

• Device
• Ghost
• Kvelertak
• Miss May I
• Of Mice & Men
• Young Guns

Most Metal Athlete presented by Roadrunner Records:

• Tom Crabtree (Green Bay Packers, NFL)
• Tanner Faust (Rally and drifting car racing)
• Clay Guida (Mixed Martial Arts fighting, UFC)
• Triple H (WWE wrestling)
• Geoff Rowley (Skateboarding)
• CJ Wilson (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, MLB)

Best Live Band presented by Samson/Zoom:

• Anthrax
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Hatebreed
• Lamb of God
• Slipknot
• Volbeat

Comeback Of The Year:

• Aerosmith
• The Darkness
• Quicksand
• Refused
• Soundgarden
• Tenacious D

Song Of The Year:

• Asking Alexandria, Run Free
• Avenged Sevenfold, Carry On
• Black Veil Brides, In The End
• Dethklok, I Ejaculate Fire
• Halestorm, Love Bites (So Do I)
• In This Moment, Blood

Most Dedicated Fans presented by Xbox LIVE:

• Black Label Society
• Black Veil Brides
• A Day To Remember
• HIM
• Rammstein
• Slipknot

Album Of The Year presented by Orange Amplification:

• Deftones, Koi No Yokan
• Gojira, L’Enfant Sauvage
• Halestorm, The Strange Case of…
• Marilyn Manson, Born Villain
• Soundgarden, King Animal
• Stone Sour, House of Gold & Bones Part 1

source: revolvermag.com

TOM KEIFER PREMIERES “THE FLOWER SONG” ONLINE, NEW ALBUM OUT APRIL 30TH

The time has come for fans of Tom Keifer who’ve been waiting over 10 years to finally hear his solo music. The Flower Song premiered on USA Today’s website yesterday, who proclaim “has the feel of a vintage Faces cut–a little Maggie May, a little Ooh La La–with Keifer’s gritty vocals front and center.” It’s the first single from his long-awaited, highly anticipated solo album, The Way Life Goes, due out April 30th through Merovee Records in conjunction with ADA Label Services.

The Flower Song will be serviced to radio stations nationwide on February 4th, while Solid Ground will be serviced to all Rock formats on March 11th.

“To me, that song is about how unbelievable it is that you’re able to find that one person that’s perfect for you,” as Tom Keifer explained to USA Today’s Brian Mansfield. “Obviously, it’s told from the perspective of a guy, but I think it’s true for both men and women: When you find that one person, it’s a miracle.”

The Way Life Goes ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in his unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for Cinderella.

In touring news, Keifer will launch his first-ever solo tour on February 9th in Winston-Salem, NC at Ziggy’s. The 14-city trek of small, intimate rooms is an up-close and personal preview of songs from THE WAY LIFE GOES along with some Cinderella classics. Dates beyond February 28th are currently in the works.

Tom Keifer tour dates;

Sat 2/9 Winston-Salem, NC Ziggy’s
Mon 2/11 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
Wed 2/13 Philadelphia, PA JC Dobbs
Fri 2/15 Pittsburgh, PA Altar Bar
Sat 2/16 Salisbury, MA Blue Ocean
Sun 2/17 Portland, ME Asylum
Tue 2/19 Cleveland, OH Peabody’s
Wed 2/20 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley
Fri 2/22 Chicago, IL Viper Alley
Sat 2/23 Lexington, KY Buster’s
Sun 2/24 Detroit, MI Magic Bag
Tue 2/26 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
Wed 2/27 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century
Thu 2/28 White Marsh, MD House of Rock

For more information, please visit tomkeifer.com.

ROB CAGGIANO ON WHY HE LEFT ANTHRAX: “MY HEART SIMPLY WASN’T IN IT ANYMORE”

Kelleigh Welch of ProSound News spoke with former Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano about why he left the band to become a producer. Parts of the interview appear below.

Q: The big question: Why did you decide to leave Anthrax?

A: That was a very tough decision to make and it’s also a tough question to answer. There are a number of reasons why I left the band. Some of them are very personal to me but I ultimately have no problem being open about these things.

If you were to ask me to give you the absolute main reason why I decided to leave Anthrax, I would tell you that I left because my heart simply wasn’t in it anymore. I had a blast playing with those guys and they will always be family to me, but outside of my guitar solos and production work, Anthrax was never a creative outlet for me (musically). That wasn’t by any choice of my own by the way; it’s just the way it is. But at the same time I was committed 100 percent to the band and the relentless touring schedule, etc.

It’s been a blast playing with those guys. I love them dearly and I wouldn’t change a thing about the last 12 years, but I guess it just got to the point where I started asking myself: “What the hell am I doing? I’m a musician; this is who I am. Being creative is simply food for my soul. Why am I devoting all of my time and energy into a band where being creative is impossible for me?” It simply stopped making sense a while ago and I ended up feeling very unhappy and unfulfilled. It started feeling like I was just going through the motions and that’s not what music is about to me at all. As soon as I realized that my heart was not into it anymore, I knew I needed to make a major change in order to make things right for myself.

Q: So what are your plans moving forward as a producer?

A: It’s been in the back of my head that I wanted to get back into producing records because that is my other passion. I’ve always been enamored with recording studios and the whole recording process. Producing records can be a very cathartic and rewarding experience or it can be the most stressful thing you’ve ever done in your life. I say that with a smile on my face because I’ve experienced both scenarios many times over the years.

I have some amazing memories and I’ve seen things go down in a recording studio that most people wouldn’t even believe. Making records is a lot of hard work and to be honest, I usually can’t even listen to an album I’ve worked on when I’m done with it. It’s the smiles and excitement people have when they listen to it that make it worthwhile for me. I’m actually in Denmark right now producing the new Volbeat album for Universal and I’m extremely amped up about this one. It’s the best thing that could have happened to me at the best possible time, and so far, I think it’s my best work to date. Leaving Anthrax was an emotional decision, but it was also extremely liberating at the same time. I definitely feel like I made the right choice.

Q: Given your background in metal, is that the genre you prefer to record, or are you open to working all types of artists?

A: My musical taste is very wide and varied, so I don’t really have a favorite genre, to be honest. Of course, I made a name for myself in the world of heavy metal, but I feel like that’s just the tip of the iceberg really. I would really love to start doing some cutting-edge pop stuff. I usually hate formulaic music, but some truly great records have been coming out recently and it’s definitely been inspiring. The Fun album is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. It’s straight-up pop music, but there is no “formula” really. You’ll hear crazy tempo changes and arrangements that definitely push the envelope of what modern pop music has been about in recent times. It actually reminds me of how records were made years ago—David Bowie, Queen, Beach Boys, etcetera. So basically what I’m saying is that pop music has been seriously regressing over the years.

Q: So will we hear you on guitar again someday? Do you think you will miss playing with Anthrax?

A: I already do, but at the same time I’m very excited to see what the future has in store for me. I’m absolutely not giving up my guitar! I’m not giving up touring anytime soon either. I love the stage and I love touring. It’s in my blood and it’s who I am. I just needed to step off the machine to reevaluate things. Sometimes it’s good to do that and with change comes growth. I have a lot to say musically and I’m ready to scream!

Read the entire interview at ProSound.

source: prosoundnetwork.com

GEEZER BUTLER SAYS BLACK SABBATH’S NEW MUSIC HAS “THE FEEL OF THE FIRST THREE ALBUMS”

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler says the band’s reunion album with Ozzy Osbourne is the most professional studio project they’ve done together because they are all sober and he’s revealed that the record might not be called 13 despite official announcements stating that would be the title.

Butler tells KCALfm, “None of us have been drinking or doing drugs or anything. It’s a bit more professional in that way. We stuck to a schedule: every day we’d go in at one o’clock and finished at six. Five hours a day and that’s it. It’s got the feel of the first three albums, back to the basic rawness. The lyrics are about life, death, doom and everything else. You get Prozac with each album…”

Of the title he explains, “It was sort of a temporary name, so we had something to refer to. It kinda stuck – but I don’t know whether that’s going to be the final title or not.”

The number didn’t just come up because of the year, “Originally we were going to put 13 tracks on the album,” Butler says. “We ended up doing 16, but I’m not sure what’s going to be on the album or what isn’t.”

With the absence of original Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, the band hired Rage Against The Machine’s Brad Wilk for the recording-a move that surprised some fans. The bassist says it was producer Rick Rubin’s suggestion, “He didn’t want a typical heavy metal drummer on the album because it’s not really a heavy metal album. It’s more heavy rock. Rick suggested Brad because he’s more in the vein of Bill Ward. We jammed with him and he sounded great with the stuff, so we went with that. We’re sort of back to the way we used to be in the 70s and that’s Brad’s feel – a sort of jazzy, bluesy feel.” No word on whether or not Wilk will join the band on tour.

Meanwhile, Butler says guitarist Tony Iommi is continuing to respond well to cancer treatment after 14 months – and the bassist reports Ozzy is getting better after being injured in a house fire last week, “He burnt his hand when he was putting the fire [out]. He’s got it in a plaster cast. He’ll be alright.”

Black Sabbath’s 19th studio album is due out in June.

additional source: classicrockmagazine.com

DRUMMER TOMMY ALDRIDGE BACK IN WHITESNAKE

Whitesnake are delighted to welcome back the one, the only, Mr. Thinder & Lightning… The Strombringer! That’s right, Tommy Aldridge is once again Whitesnake’s drummer, replacing the recently departed Brian Tichy.

Says Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale, “When I asked all the band members to put together their wish-list of potential drummers for us… every one, without exception, had Tommy Aldridge the top of the list. Also, most of the fans who communicated their suggestions on WS.com wanted Tommy back in the band. So, without further ado, we are delighted to welcome him back with us. It seems it is our destiny to work together. This is going to be so much fun. Welcome back, TA!”

“I can’t express how honored and grateful I am to be back in the Snake fold,” states Aldridge. “Working with David Coverdale and Co. has always been a labor of love. SO stoked to be back and finish what we started!”

Whitesnake would like to thank all the amazing musicians who honored them by applying for the position of drummer. The band were blown away by so much incredible talent and wish each and every one the very best in their lives and careers.

Two weeks ago Brian Tichy announced his departure from Whitesnake to concentrate on his new Sass Jordan fronted project S.U.N. At the time Tichy said, ” I’d like to think we (S.U.N.) made a record that is a solid piece of rock that will hold its own next to anything. How will I know if I am right or wrong if I just “talk talk talk” about it? I’ve got live it and let this band have a fair shot, or else I might as well just call it “a cute little project I do if I have free time.” That is boring and goofy. We’ve worked hard and we will work hard. “I can’t give it its fair shot if I am giving Whitesnake 100%.”

Tommy Aldrudge orginally joined Whitesnake back in 1987 and appeared on the Slip Of The Tongue album and continued drumming for the band until their break-up in 1991. Aldridge rejoined Whitesnake in 2002 for their 25th Anniversary tour before departing in 2007.

additional source: sleazeroxx.com

THE STATION FIRE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION MAY RECEIVE DONATIONS FROM JACK RUSSELL AFTER ALL

The Station Fire Memorial Foundation, who refused to accept a charitable donation from Great White singer Jack Russell, will receive some of the money after all.

Last week Russell announced he’d perform an acoustic show to mark the 10th anniversary of the night club blaze which killed 100, including guitarist Ty Longley, but the foundation said they didn’t want the money.

Now the singer, who parted ways with the rest of Great White last year, has revealed he’ll send the proceeds to Longley’s nine-year-old son. And young Acey, who never met his father, says he’ll pass some of the money to the foundation.

The boy comments, “Thank you to Great White (the Jack one) for donating to my charity, BEATS – Bringing Everyone A Tremendous Smile – to help bring iTunes cards, drumsticks and Legos to children in hospitals, in memory of my father. I bring smiles to kids in two hospitals in Illinois. I also plan to give some of it to the Station Fire Memorial Foundation to help build a permanent site for all the angels, including my dad.”

Acey reveals he’s never met any member of either Great White lineup, adding, “God says to love everybody, so I do. Taking the donation from Jack does not mean we only love Jack and his Great White, because me and my mom love both Great White bands.”

Both bands’ drummers have assisted with Acey’s charity work, he says. “Audie and Derrick both donated drumsticks and Audie also sent a practice pad, autographed pictures and Legos for me to help the kids. When my dad died I wasn’t even born. Now I’m nine and missing having my dad that everyone knew but me. It’s important to me to make sure my dad is remembered by everyone and all of the angels because they went off to heaven together. I hope to make my dad proud by making the world a better place and bringing happiness to sick kids in hospitals. I hope everyone understands, and doesn’t fight, and helps me.”

additional source: classicrockmagazine.com