Rocky Loves Emily Lives the American Dream

Pop rock will never be the same after witnessing Detroit's finest act to date, Rocky Loves Emily. Who have full filled their dream of becoming musicians/ By doing so, the band discusses where the name came from down to how thankful they are about being able to do what they love so much. Percussionist Pete Kalinowski recalls this discussion.

1. Please name the band members and what instrument they play.

Pete: Brandon-Vocals Pete-Drums Andrew-Guitar Sean-Guitar Steve-Keys Wood-Bass

 

2. How did the band get its name?

Pete: Brandon, Steve, and I (Pete) were sitting hanging out at a cafe talking about childhood movies. It was kinda of a team effort when we were talking about the movie 3 Ninjas. One of the most memorable parts in that movie is when Colt and Tum Tum made fun of Rocky chanting "Rocky Loves Emily" over and over. So we kinda thought, yep, band name! haha

 

3. How would you describe your music style?

Pete: Pop, rock, with just a pinch of country/classic rock.

4. What have been your major influences?

Pete: I can't speak on behalf for all the guys, but for me personally, I would have to go with, Kiss, The Foo Fighters, Neil Young, Soundgarden, Def Leppard, and Lady Gaga! Wow, I just read that over, that's a weird variety of influences.

 

5. Have there been any changes since you first started your band or changes you would like to make now or in the future?

Pete: Well when Brandon and I first started jamming together.. We were going for like a weird grungy/indie sound. Basically we didn't really know what we were trying to go for then pop came to mind haha. As far as the future goes. We have a whole list of goals that we want to achieve but only God knows what will happen, so I guess we'll see what happens right?

 

6. Who writes the music for your band?

Pete: Well this is pretty much how it goes down...Brandon will bring an idea to the table, with a melody and a few basic chords and an idea of how the structure is gonna be. Then the rest of the guys (and by the rest of the guys I mean me) basically turn Brandon 's crappy ideas into gold! haha. By the way brandon is sitting next to me and he approves this message hahaha!

7. "American Dream" is your debut release, so by the title would you say that this is your dream come true?

Pete: Basically Yes! I couldn't be more thankful to do this with the dudes that I love the most!

 

8. What does you tour schedule currently look like?

Pete: We have a tour coming up that starts mid-January to mid-February. And that will cover the central/eastcoast

 

9. What is in store with the group in 2011?

Pete: We have a whole bunch of plans, but basically we're gonna be melting faces left and right just kidding, but seriously...for real though, we are gonna be going back into the studio sometime in the spring. Putting out a new record and being a touring machine is the basic plan. haha

10. Thanks for your time,and good luck in the future.

Pete: No... Thank you for your time.

Sincarnate – As I Go Under

Romanian death metal act Sincarnate has unleashed their debut full-length album, "As I Go Under". But since their descent back in 2005, the band has gone off to gather up its musician torch carriers and focus on unleashing this album they have been working so hard on, over the last few years. Now that this time has upon them there is no turning back.

Sincarnate’s “As I Go Under”, delivers a death metal vibe but with an added mix of melodic attitude that progresses every so often it makes the music quality sound that more realistic. For instance the guitar work is done quick and easily whereas the drum beats take their time and slowly build up in the backdrop if you will. While the vocal chords charge straight ahead and take the whole foreground of the music engulfing every inch.

Sincarnate’s choice of style is rather typical but they manage to pull off some unusual skills that make their music stand out above all the rest. So this goes into saying that, Sincarnate surely has what it takes to get the ball rolling music-wise but will continue to establish it altogether piece by piece.

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2011 Tour Dates Pumped and Ready

Ready to rock? The 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour dates are out, so go and get your rock on!


7/9 San Bernardino, CA San Manuel Amphitheatre
7/10 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/12 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheater
7/13 Boise, ID Idaho Center Amphitheatre
7/15 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
7/16 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion
7/17 Denver, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
7/19 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
7/20 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
7/22 Boston, MA Comcast Center
7/23 Montreal, QUE Parc Jean Drapeau
7/24 Hartford, CT The Comcast Theatre
7/27 Holmdel, NJ P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
7/29 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion
7/30 Washington, DC Jiffy Lube Live
7/31 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
8/2 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless V. Beach Amphitheater
8/3 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
8/5 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/6 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/7 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center
8/9 Oklahoma City, OK Zoo Amphitheatre
8/10 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center
8/12 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
8/13 Tampa, FL 1-800-Ask-Gary-Amphitheatre
8/14 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater

Vans Warped Tour 2011 Dates Unleashed!

The tour dates for the 2011 edition of Vans Warped Tour have been announced.  Next year's lineup will be coming soon, in just about 2 weeks! Stay tuned!

6/24 Superpages.com Center - Dallas, TX
6/25 The Showgrounds at Sam Houston - Houston, TX
6/26 AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX
6/29 NMSU Practice Field - Las Cruces, NM
6/30 To Be Determined - Las Vegas, NV
7/01 Pomona Fairplex - Pomona, CA
7/02 Seaside Park - Ventura, CS
7/03 Shoreline Amphitheater - San Francisco, CA
7/06 Sandstone Amphitheater - Kansas City, MO (Bonner Springs)
7/07 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Indianapolis, IN
7/08 Comerica Park - Detroit, MI
7/09 First Midwest Bank Amphitheater - Chicago, IL
7/10 Canterbury Park - Minneapolis, MN
7/12 Darien Lake PAC - Buffalo, NY
7/13 Comcast Center - Boston, MA
7/14 Toyota Pavilion - Scranton, PA
7/15 Arrow Hall - Toronto, ON
7/16 Parc Jean Drapeau - Montreal, QC
7/17 The Comcast Theater - Hartford, CT
7/19 Marcus Amphitheater - Milwaukee, WI
7/20 Time Warner Cable Amphitheater - Cleveland, OH
7/21 Susquehanna Bank Center - Philadelphia, PA (Camden)
7/22 First Niagara Pavilion - Pittsburgh, PA
7/23 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Uniondale, NY
7/24 Monmouth Park Racetrack - Oceanport, NJ
7/26 Merriweather Post Pavilion - Washington D.C.
7/27 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Virginia Beach, VA
7/28 Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Charlotte, NC
7/29 Firestone Amphitheater - Orlando, FL
7/30 Cruzan Amphitheater - Miami, FL
7/31 Vinoy Park - Tampa, FL (Saint Petersburg)
8/01 Lakewood Amphitheater - Atlanta, GA
8/02 Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
8/03 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - St. Louis, MO
8/05 Invesco Field - Denver, CO
8/06 Utah State Fairgrounds - Salt Lake City, UT
8/07 Cricket Pavilion - Phoenix, AZ
8/09 Cricket Amphitheater - San Diego, CA
8/10 Home Depot Center or New Venue - San Diego, CA
8/11 Sleep Train Amphitheater - Sacramento, CA
8/12 Idaho Center Amphitheater - Boise, ID
8/13 Gorge Amphitheater - Seattle, WA
8/14 Washington County Fairgrounds - Portland, OR

War Tapes – Fever Changing

Six years have come and gone for Los Angeles foursome War Tapes. Who have successfully released an assortment of releases; "Self Titled EP" (2008), "The Continental Divide LP" (2009), along with two more EP releases, "Turtles", and "Fever Changing", both released this past year. “Fever Changing”, is the most recent out of the bunch, and this time, War Tapes hasn’t done any changing whatsoever. Their style remains the same as it always has.

Its sleek upbeat rock with hardcore new wave attitude keeps the music pumping yet smooth. Like take, "Sheets Unknown", this catchy yet satisfying tune really rotates back to their original abilities that were found on their "Self Titled EP" released in 2009. The guitars, bass, and drums keep up with one another while the vocals just follows through, keeping everything in proper tune. Now on "Silhouette", this resembles a lot of what "Dreaming Of You", was built upon. Recreating the same sort of melodies with vocal tactics yet had that extra push.

"Best Around", completes this release by kicking it up a notch or two because the music presents a techno rhythm that brings out that outer spacey beat. It is surely without a doubt, which War Tapes will continue to expand their knowledge of music and what more they can build with it. All it takes is time, energy, and effort that these musicians have a solid ground of.

DEVILDRIVER To Tour North America With CANCER BATS, BAPTIZED IN BLOOD

Santa Barbara, California's DEVILDRIVER will embark on the 2011 installment of the "Bound By The Road" North American tour in January with support from CANCER BATS and BAPTIZED IN BLOOD.

The dates are as follows:

Jan. 20 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro
Jan. 21 - Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
Jan. 22 - Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
Jan. 24 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House
Jan. 25 - Vancouver, BC @ The Venue
Jan. 26 - Prince George, BC @ The Generator
Jan. 27 - Calgary, AB @ Republik
Jan. 28 - Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room
Jan. 29 - Saskatoon, SK @ Louis’ Pub
Jan. 30 - Winnipeg, MB @ The Garrick Centre
Jan. 31 - Thunder Bay, ON @ Crocks
Feb. 02 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Feb. 03 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
Feb. 04 - Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
Feb. 05 - Dayton, OH @ McGuffy’s House of Rock
Feb. 06 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Feb. 08 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
Feb. 09 - Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
Feb. 10 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre

DEVILDRIVER has set "Beast" as the title of its fifth album, due on February 22, 2011 via Roadrunner Records. The CD was recorded at Sonic Ranch studios in Tornillo, Texas with producer Mark Lewis (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, ALL THAT REMAINS) and is currently being mixed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY) at his Backstage studio in Derbyshire, England. The band recorded 14 songs during the "Beast" sessions, with 11 or 12 tracks expected to make the final cut.

Songtitles set to appear on the CD include:

* Dead to Rights
* Hardened
* Bring The Fight (To the Floor)
* Shitlist
* Talons Out (Teeth Sharpened)
* Blur
* You Make Me Sick (Sacred Secrets)
* The Blame Game
* Coldblooded
* Crowns of Creation
* Lend Myself to the Night

"The record is extreme," vocalist Dez Fafara told Revolver magazine. "And it attacks from start to finish. If you liked [2007's] 'The Last Kind Words', this is like that on steroids and crank, driving a Buick Skylark 200 miles an hour straight to Vegas."

"I felt like I was waking up and experiencing a moment of clarity that brought out all these pissed off, negative emotions," Fafara said of making the album. "It's an all-out release of pain.

"It's been a beast of a year and a half, and it's still going," he added.

DEVILDRIVER's latest CD, "Pray For Villains", sold around 14,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

CHILDREN OF BODOM: New Album Title Revealed

CHILDREN OF BODOM, the hard partying Finnish heavy metal band that features frontman and modern-day guitar hero Alexi Laiho, will release its new album, "Relentless Reckless Forever", on March 8, 2011 via Universal Music. Recorded in Finland's Petrax Studios with famed rock producer Matt Hyde (SLAYER, MONSTER MAGNET), the CD is the seventh studio album of COB's illustrious career and the first new record from the band since 2008's "Blooddrunk", which debuted at #22 on The Billboard 200 chart and scored the quintet its third consecutive No. 1 debut in Finland.

"We worked super-hard on this album, at least for me it was pretty much no sleep or rest for six weeks," stated Laiho. "But we were determined to make the best COB album ever, so we were willing to do whatever it took. Of course, having our producer Matt Hyde kicking our asses 24/7 definitely made the results even better, so obviously we're more than anxious to get this album out there"

"Relentless Reckless Forever" summons and synthesizes everything CHILDREN OF BODOM has earned and worked towards over the course of its successful, storied career. The band's high-energy hooks and electric energy forge stadium-sized heavy metal anthems that seethe with both marvelous musicianship and a phenomenal pop prowess. COB's unique union of haunting melodies, rhythmic sensibility, guitar-and-keyboard interplay and king-size solos is supercharged to the maximum on "Relentless Reckless Forever", and the resulting record is poised to push the band — already on the brink of breakout success in the U.S. — to an altogether new pinnacle.

On October 6, CHILDREN OF BODOM filmed a high-energy music video for the brand new song "Was It Worth It?" on location at central Pennsylvania's residential action sports compound Camp Woodward with director Dale Resteghini of Raging Nation Films (MUDVAYNE, HATEBREED, ANTHRAX, SHADOWS FALL). In the video, the band joined forces with two-time X Games gold medalist and two-time Thrasher magazine "Skater of the Year" Chris Cole as well as noted pro skaters Jamie Thomas and Tom Asta (the current #1 amateur skateboarder in the world). The clip was shot guerrilla style, sans treatment; honing in directly on CHILDREN OF BODOM's high-spirited fire and the skater's eye-opening execution.

"The single 'Was It Worth It?' is a total party song, said Laiho. "It's not your typical BODOM sound, but it's one of my favorites and heavy as hell."

In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, Laiho said that he was happy with the decision to work with Hyde. "Our management was pushing the idea," Laiho said, "so eventually it was, 'All right, fuck it. Just to shut them up, let's do it.' We liked the way [Hyde] talked about music and the way he was already so fucking committed. He wanted to do the best fucking CHILDREN OF BODOM album ever and was pretty serious and convincing about that. After five minutes of talking to the dude, we knew he was the guy."

Regarding the musical direction of the new CHILDREN OF BODOM material, Laiho told Revolver, "It's maybe a little more melodic than [2008's] 'Blooddrunk' was. It's maybe more guitar riff-oriented, really '80s guitar and stuff like that."

According to Laiho, the recording sessions for the new CHILDREN OF BODOM album produced nine originals and one cover song that he says is "gonna be fucking funny as shit. I don't think it's something anybody would necessarily want to cover — not a metal band, anyway."

Among the other tracks that are set to appear on the next CHILDREN OF BODOM CD are "Pussyfoot Miss Suicide" and "Ugly"

Regarding the subject matter covered in the "Pussyfoot Miss Suicide" lyrics, Laiho told Revolver, "I've been involved with stupid chicks who were trying to get attention by being, 'Oh, I'm so fucking depressed. I'm gonna slit my wrists with a cheese grater...' And it's so fucking boring, like, 'Just let it go. You're really not gonna do it, anyway.' It's kind of harsh, but it's fuckin' black humor." "Ugly", on the other hand, is "really just venting and screaming stupid stuff. Nobody should expect anything deep and poetic and sensitive and intelligent, y'know?"

Monster High’s Frightening Upbringing's

Are you a fan of Monster High? Can you not get enough of its ghoulish goodness? Well then perhaps you better set yourself for what's on the horizon. While the franchise is in its second seasonal run online, the other products are not that far behind. Thus this includes the line of products that has been divided into "Waves". So Wave 1-2 are doing its run and Wave 3-4 will hit home come the New Year. So what should that wave bring?

Well we have the Gloom Beach set showcasing our popular Monsters in their summer/spring attire, that also introduces is to Jackson Jekyll. Another assortment of "attire" includes the fashion lines that goes into an array of school uniforms; soccer, basketball, cheerleading, and swimming. Aside from that we have additional play sets, that feature Draculaura and Frankie Stein's bedroom sets.

Then we get thrown with some brand new characters that have been mentioned recently; Abby Bominable, Spectra Von Hauntington, and Clawd and Clawdette Wolf, the brother and sister to Clawdeen Wolf. If that's not enough, the continuation of the "Dawn of the Dance" series brings Ghoulia Yelps and Draculaura. But wait there is way more!

The “Ghoulishly Freaky/Masquerade”, series which showcases all of the main characters in their formal attire from the sounds of it. Another set of play sets are to be out, the Monster High 3rd Floor School Playset as well as Lagoona's Hydration Station. Still craving for more? Well we got the "Dead Tired" series which from the name sounds like the bedtime set that again includes all of the main characters. Lastly we are presented with the 'Too Ghoul for School 2 Packs" that includes all of the original sets except in an assortment of two not just the one. Also another fashion pack is in the works that comes with the prom dresses for the girls and the tux/suits for the guys.

So in the long run this is surely to become a one hit wonder once this all hits the shelves early next year!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

It's been ten long years since we were first introduced to the famous boy wizard known as Harry Potter. Who’s believe it or not taken the world by storm with the film franchise since the first film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” came out back in 2001.

Now that ten whole years have gone by we’ve watched the young boy wizard portrayed by actor Daniel Radcliff grew up into an adult loved by millions. Along with his co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint who play Harry's loyal sidekicks Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the trio has had nothing but fun, fear, and death follow them wherever they roamed.

This time around we are taken to a darker time and place in the wizarding world. Lord Voldemort, a power evil wizard who murdered Harry's parents after vanishing into thin air after trying to kill Harry himself has been determined to do just that in this final installment. But luckily for Harry he has his family and friends by his side. Following the death of headmaster Dumbledore Voldemort has gained control of the Ministry of Magic and all the darkness has invaded our world. The trio has set off to find the several Horcruxes so that each can be destroyed and all can be saved minus the battles that lay between the cracks.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon find out about the Deathly Hallows and that three sacred objects; the Resurrection Stone, a stone with the power to recall the dead to the world of the living; the Elder Wand, an unbeatable wand; and an infallible Invisibility Cloak. They soon learn that Voldemort is way ahead of them and they will soon face the reality of this war at hand.

This is the first of two parts to the final conclusion of the Harry Potter franchise and once the finale premieres in 2011 this franchise may cease to exist or perhaps branch out like never before.

My Chemical Romance Announce Dates for Their 2011 "The World Contamination Tour" in Support of New Album "Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys"

My Chemical Romance will hit the road in January for their 2011 "The World Contamination" tour -- a full-scale trek in support of their brand-new album "Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys," which will be released by Reprise Records on Monday, November 22nd. The tour will launch on April 1, 2011 in Portland, OR.

A ticket pre-sale for registered members of www.mychemicalromance.com will begin on www.mychemicalromance.com/tour November 17th, with general on-sales beginning on November 20th. Links for ticket purchases can be found at www.mychemicalromance.com/tour. A code enabling fans to download a free digital copy of "Danger Days" will be included with every pair of presale tickets purchased online. Fans must be registered members to have access to this exclusive presale. To register visit www.mychemicalromance.com/user/register

My Chemical Romance are riding high with the success of "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)," the first single from "Danger Days." New Warner Bros. Records Chairman Rob Cavallo, who produced MCR's platinum-selling album "The Black Parade" as well as albums by Dave Matthews Band, Jawbreaker, and The Goo Goo Dolls, among many others, produced the album. Those who pre-order the album on iTunes will instantly receive the track "The Only Hope for Me Is You." The second single, "Sing," is currently available for purchase from all digital retailers.

My Chemical Romance's 2011 "The World Contamination Tour" dates are as follows:

APRIL
------------
1st   Portland, OR   Roseland Theatre
2nd   Vancouver, BC  Center for Performing Arts
3rd   Seattle, WA    Showbox Sodo
5th   Edmonton, AB   Edmonton Event Centre
6th   Calgary, AB    MacEwan Hall
8th   Salt Lake City In the Venue
9th   Denver, CO     Fillmore
10th  Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom
12th  Minneapolis, MNFirst Avenue
13th  Milwaukee, WI  Eagles Ballroom
15th  Chicago, IL    Aragon *
17th  Cleveland, OH  House Of Blues
20th  Montreal, QC   Metropolis
22nd  New York, NY   Terminal 5

MAY
------------
5th   Boston, MA     House Of Blues
6th   Philadelphia, PA     Tower Theater *
7th   Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
10th  Washington, DC 9:30 Club
11th  Atlanta, GA    The Tabernacle
17th  West Palm Bch, FL    Revolution
18th  Orlando, FL    House Of Blues
20th  Houston, TX    House Of Blues **
21st  Dallas, TX     House Of Blues **
24th  Phoenix, AZ    Marquee

MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

An exclusive interview with Trent Hafdahl from After The Burial

Minnesota Twin Citers, After The Burial have been hard at work establishing what they consider to be their most dynamic, diverse, appetite you could ever imagine coming from them. The crushing wave of guitars, dividing drums, with powerful vocal chords is what you’ll be experiencing from their third installment, “In Dreams”. In which guitarist Trent Hafdahl discusses the band's past, present, and what lays ahead once this album comes into full effect.

1. What originally inspired you to want to play in a band and play guitar?

Trent: Basically what inspired me was the music I grew up listening to as a kid. I listened to a lot of music with killer guitar players like Randy Rhoads, Darrell Abbott, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen, and Alex Lifeson. Just the way those dudes spoke with the guitar made me want to pick it up and try it on my own. I swear man; I probably played "Flying High Again" and "Domination" a thousand fuckin' times a piece! Jamming loud as hell along to these dudes everyday in my parents’ house really made me realize that playing guitar was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, whether I made it my main focus or just kept it as a serious hobby. I was lucky enough to be friends with a group of really talented musicians through my last few years of high school, so that kind of spring-boarded my drive to start a band.

2. What drew you to wanting to play the 8-string guitar?

Trent: We started After The Burial in 2004 playing 7-strings. This was actually the first time I had really ever played one in a serious setting, to be honest. Through learning this new approach at writing songs with an extra string, I got into experimentation mode with the thing. Tuning that B string down as far as I could until it was flappin' off the neck and trying to write riffs with it. I still have some seriously funny demos lying around where you can hear how fucked up the action on the guitar is because of how detuned I had the thing. Justin and I both really enjoyed a lot of music with lower tunings, and after a year or two of throwing around the idea of tuning lower; we decided it was where we wanted to go. We didn't just want to tune the whole 7-string down and chug away though, because we wanted to retain the upper range for solo work/harmonized shredding that we enjoyed so much. The 8 string was the only logical direction for us. We pre-ordered two of the first batch of Ibanez rg2228's in March of 2007, got the axes in August, and the rest is history. 

3. What is your ultimate guitar you'd like to own, if not the one you already own?

Trent: That's a hard question! I could go through and list a bunch of guitars that I'd like to own that would perfectly suit every single aspect and approach of my playing, but instead...I'll just say the ultimate guitar I'd like to own would be a magical guitar where the strings were always brand new and in tune, the neck was always properly set-up, and it somehow magically always made it back into the guitar case without dents or scratches on it. Do they make those yet? Oh, and it would have a full size fridge compartment in the back. Why not? It's a fuckin' magical guitar dude.

4. So, In Dreams is the title for your third release, tell me about it.

Trent: "In Dreams" is our second release on Sumerian Records, third overall. What to say about it? Well, it's a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new, as far as the music is concerned. We went a couple places musically where we were always a little hesitant to go in the past. For this record, we're truly showcasing the way our band has been for the past two years since Anthony joined. We we're in a huge transitional period when the first "Rareform" came out in 2008, and subsequently had to fight to stay relevant to people as we had line-up troubles.

It was really tough to tell you the truth. When Anthony joined the band, we felt like the vibe was back to where it was when we first started. Unfortunately we weren't quite ready to get into writing a brand new album, so we did the next best thing in our minds which was to re-release "Rareform". "In Dreams" is the first actual album where Anthony is in the vocal drivers-seat, and you'll hear that on this album. It's a collective compilation of all us dudes grooving together in the truest sense.

5. When you started writing and recording the new album, did you go into it all having your mind set on this is the sound we want, this is how it's going to be done or did you go in and just start playing and piecing things together?

Trent: The only predisposition we ever have when writing an album is that the end result is something we like to listen to. That's the only "formula" we go by, and it's been that way since day one. Each one of us comes from a diverse musical background, and that lends itself to the music 100%. We know what we like. If it turns out we don't like a part of a song, we'll scrap it and come up with something new. There's not really much beyond that. We're huge fans of music that just happen to be lucky enough to create some together for others to listen to.

6. After finishing an album do you feel totally drained, like you've got all your creativity out?

Trent: Not really. The draining things about putting out an album are those that are outside of the actual writing of it. We're writing tons of material whether it's for an album or not. When we're writing a new album, we'll focus on the task at hand and put the songs together that we want to hear on the record, but after that it just goes right back into writing and demoing material. At any given point in listening to any of our songs, you could be hearing a riff that is four or five years old, and that's because we have so much material laying around. We're very picky about how the songs are put together, so inherently that means a lot of stuff is thrown into the archives, which is good because then we always have a wealth of ideas to choose from should we get stuck in a rut on a song or something.

7. What do you like and dislike about your past albums. Do you ever look back and feel like you could have done anything different?

Trent: Not enough solos.

8. Do you find it hard to keep motivated when you're on tour?

Trent: If the tour isn't doing so well, then yes. But I'm sure I could speak on behalf of the whole entire music industry, as far as the bands are concerned, in saying that being on a tour where you're playing awesome shows night to night is the ultimate form of motivation. Even if you're playing first on a bill at 3:30 in the afternoon for $100 a day, if the kids are reacting to you in a positive way, there's nothing like it in the world. It makes you want to get to the next city, do the next show, and do it again, even if you just have gotten off the stage. 

9. You are about to head out on the road with Wings of Plague is this cycle new to you or have you visited these spots before?

Trent: We've been touring hard since 2008, so a lot of these shows are in places we've been to before. I see a few new clubs here and there, but for the most part we've played in these areas at some point in the past.

10. Where do you see heavy metal and music in general in ten years time? Do you see any trends emerging?

Trent: I'm probably not the best person to ask about that, because honestly, I don't listen to much new music as far as metal is concerned. If it is something new I'm listening to, it's from a band that I've listened to for years, so it'll have a sort of sentimental value to it. Or it's from someone who I've made friends with through being in a band. I hear all sorts of names of bands that are making it big these days, and when I check out a song I can tell that the whole swoop-hair screamo singing/screaming thing is making some sort of a comeback, but not without the help of an abundance of keyboards/vocoders/electronic music samples etc. A lot of people dig it, but I'm not into that stuff. There's also been a big influx of bands who are taking to the vein of poly-rhythmic, progressive metal. I know there are a lot of really talented bands emerging these days, but I’m only aware of a very select few of em.

Trent: In ten years, I wouldn't be surprised if an audio sample of a robot taking a shit was the most popular single on iTunes. Technology is taking over the music industry as a whole, and it's making it easier for the average person to create mind blowing music, regardless of their talent. But what is talent? Ya know? I think that a lot of people overlook certain types of music because they think it doesn't take "talent", but you damn well know that the average person couldn't go up and DJ at some nightclub and have everybody hopping off. Just like you couldn't have Joe Shmoe write a poem and have all the beatniks snapping their fingers in some stoney spoken word coffee house. It's all within context I guess. Mostly all of the music on the radio these days is recycled garbage anyhow, so I really couldn't care less about what happens to the mainstream.

11. Does After The Burial have anything planned for the holiday season?

Trent: Well, we'll be on the road for Thanksgiving, which is going to suck because we're all huge fans of loads of good food and watching football.  We'll be getting home from tour on like Christmas Eve, so we'll be able to enjoy that and New Years in proper style. Nothing crazy planned for the band, just spending time with family and friends. We've been away for a long time, and although we get a couple weeks home in between tours, schedules are so busy and conflicting that it's hard to catch up with everyone you want to.

12. Finally, where do you see yourself in ten years? What do you want to achieve?

Trent: Ten years from now I'd like to see myself still doing something that brings me happiness. I've always lived by the motto "if you don't like your job, quit it". So I guess whether I'm still touring, or whether I'm doing something else aside from music altogether, as long as whatever it is makes me happy more often then it stresses me out, that's all I really need. I'll always be writing music regardless of anything, it's just part of who I am and I'll be doing it right up until I keel over.

Escape the Fate presents The Dead Masquerade Tour!

Las Vegas rockers ESCAPE THE FATE plan to embark on this Spring tour come next year. Taggomg along includes ALESANA, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, GET SCARED, AND DRIVE A! Aside from this tour the band recently release their third full-length self-titled efforts that has been hitting the rock scene like no tomorrow. The self-titled release includes hits such as "Massacre", "Issues", and "Zombie Dance". The band plans will be shooting a video for their next single "Zombie Dance" soon and frontman Craig Mabbit goes into saying that the video will have some dance scene involved possibly similiar to that of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video. With that said be sure to catch these everyday rockers out on the road if not on the run!

Tour Dates:

1/20 - TUCSON, AZ
1/21 - PHOENIX, AZ
1/22 - ALBOQUERQUE, NM
1/24 - DALLAS, TX
1/25 - SAN ANTONIO, TX
1/26 - HOUSTON, TX
1/28 - ATLANTA, GA
1/29 - ORLANDO, FL
1/30 - FT. LANDERDALE, FL
2/1 - CHARLOTTE. NC
2/2 - NORFOLK, VA
2/3 - BALTIMORE, MD
2/4 - PHILADELPHIA, PA
2/5 - SAYREVILLE, NJ
2/8 - LANCASTER, PA
2/9 ALLENTOWN, PA
2/11 - HARTFORD, CT
2/12 - WORECHESTER, MA
2/13 - MONTREAL - QC
2/14 - TORONTO, ON
2/16 - BUFFALO, NY
2/17 - DETROIT, MI
2/18 - GRAND RAPIDS, MI
2/19 - MILWAUKEE, WI
2/20 - CHICAGO, IL
2/21 - ST/ LOUIS, MO
2/23 - MINNEAPOLIS, MN
2/25 - DENVER, CO
2/26 - SALT LAKE CITY, UT
2/27 - BOISE, ID
3/1 - SPOKANE, WA
3/2 - PORTLAND, OR
3/3 - SEATTLE, WA
3/5 SAN FRANCICSO, CA
3/6 SACRAMENTO, CA
3/8 - RENO, NV
3/9 - FRESNO, CA
3/11 - ANAHEIM, CA
3/12 - SAN DIEGO, CA

After The Burial – In Dreams

After The Burial has released not just one but two albums thus far and a third is on the way, “In Dreams", captures the rupturing riffs with chord progression so strong it's hard to tell that this crushing new album was even done by After The Burial.

With that said, "My Frailty", starts off the album with its industrial background noises that quickly descends into a rampage of guitar driven rhythms with overwhelming vocal attics it makes the music just shake all around. "To Carry You Away", breaks from the shakiness and presents a mellow dramatic vibration that captures the band at a slow pace than usual. Like the guitars are fast but not as they normally would be because this song decrypts an acoustic guitar intro that fades away bringing out that fast but steady pace of beat that sets the music for a smooth course.

"Promises Kept", uses this same dramatic method except provides an energy so strong it drives the music to a more stable ground its uncanny of how well it lays out. After The Burial has found a style all their own and given the time it will all channel together. 

My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys

Well it's here...sorta the highly anticipated album of the year brings back alternative rockers My Chemical Romance to the foreground of the music scene. But this time they've left their black parade attire behind along with everything else. "Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys", is the fourth album in the My Chemical Romance catalog so this time the concept takes a different toll by surrounding the lives of the "Fabulous Killjoys".

The band poses as the four Killjoys (minus former drummer Bob Bryar); "Party Poison" (Gerard Way), "Jet Star" (Ray Toro), "Fun Ghoul" (Frank Iero), and "Kobra Kid" (Mikey Way), all of whom are shown in the video for "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)". So the Killjoys are a group of outlaws fighting against an evil corporation called Better Living Industries (BL/ind.) lead by Korse in the year 2019. Their guide through this treacherous time is pirate radio DJ, Dr. Death Defying.

So when it comes down to this album the old school fan base of My Chemical Romance may need some time to adjust to this new material because MCR has stepped away from who they once were and now that they’ve stepped it up, it’s a whole another story. Like take "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)", this upbeat yet very bouncy tune is indeed catchy and fun filled throughout, but it's not the MCR way. "SING", "The Only Hope for Me Is You", each play their roles of being the softer tunes offered on this album. The music plays on a mellow dramatic ground that keeps it on a down low so it isn’t as compelling as the other tunes.

"Party Poison", "Save Yourself, I'll Hold Them Back", and "S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W", just lack the quality that MCR is known for the instruments are solid ground but it just doesn't live up to the material that "once was". So this is just out dated new material that can't seem to catch a good break. "DESTROYA", and "Vampire Money", tend to make things more complex on this release. These two make the music sound flat it builds up on certain aspects but leaves the listener wondering why am I even listening to this?

"Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys", by My Chemical Romance may look like the rock album of the year for some. But in reality My Chemical Romance should have stuck to their originality of way back when, because this new stuff just isn’t cutting it. 

My Chemical Romance's Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys is STREAMING NOW!

My Chemical Romance's highly anticipative full-length fourth installment is streaming online now! Be sure to go have a listen for yourself on their website now! Also don't forget to pre-order their new album here!

ESCAPE THE FATE Bassist Checks Into Rehab; Band Drops Off BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE Tour

Las Vegas, Nevada-based post-hardcore band ESCAPE THE FATE has pulled out of the remaining dates on its European tour with BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE because bassist Max Green has entered an undisclosed rehab for drug and alcohol addiction.

"Max needs his friends and family by his side, so we're not gonna leave him," says lead singer Craig Mabbitt. "Max is one of my best friends and has never done this band wrong in any way shape or form.

"It's very honorable of him to admit he has a problem and wants to seek help for the longevity of his life and this band. I'm so sorry to the fans, but so proud of Max. He needs our love and support through this rough time in his life, so let's give it to him. Our soldiers never let us down and we will be back to play Europe and the two London dates very soon. We love you guys."

ESCAPE THE FATE will headline a string of European dates in early 2011. Tickets for the two London headline shows that were scheduled for December 6 and December 7 at the Islington Academy will be honored when these shows are rescheduled early next year.

ESCAPE THE FATE's self-titled album sold 18,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 25 on The Billboard 200 chart. The video for the CD's first single, "Issues", can be viewed below. In the horror movie-influenced clip, the group is being attacked by a small village of people, but things aren't as they seem. Mabbitt explains, "Slowly through the video, you begin to realize the town's people are the ones that are crazy and insane. We're just a group of four rad dudes playing in a church." The Paul R. Brown-directed (STONE SOUR, SLIPKNOT, MÖTLEY CRÜE, KORN, GODSMACK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD) video's concept was Mabbitt's, who wanted a graphic novel type of feel to it.

KATAKLYSM Announces North American Tour

Montreal-based extreme metallers KATAKLYSM have announced the North American leg of their "Spread the Venom 2010 - 2011 World Tour". Joining them will be groove-laden death shredders ALL SHALL PERISH, technical/progressive death masters DECREPIT BIRTH, Sumerian Records' touring juggernaut CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE, and Relapse Records' modern death metal merchants ABYSMAL DAWN. This will be just a part of a massive worldwide tour, that is rumored to be the band's last before a much-needed break from extensive performance schedule.

"In just about a month we will embark on KATAKLYSM's longest one way headlining stretch crossing four continents in nearly 20 years," commented vocalist Maurizio Iacono.

"'Heaven's Venom' has been welcomed with open arms by fans and critics alike across the globe.

"As I mentioned before in interviews, 'Heaven’s Venom' is a very personal, aggressive and dark KATAKLYSM album that hits home. We love this album and want to share its anger with our fans! We want to play places we have never been before and also revisit our loyal supporters while creating some new fans along the way. One thing we know is that this will be the only time you will be able to see the band on this record or for a long time. So don't say, 'I'll catch them the next time,' because there might not be a next time. We are thinking of taking along break after this massive trek and who knows what will happen next. So if you are a fan of KATAKLYSM, you have been called to duty!"

The dates are as follows:

Feb. 24 - Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
Feb. 25 - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
Feb. 26 - Harpo's - Detroit, MI
Feb. 27 - Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
Feb. 28 - Park Theatre - Winnipeg, MB - Canada
Mar. 02 - Starlite - Edmonton, AB - Canada
Mar. 03 - Lake City Bowl - Kelowna, BC - Canada
Mar. 04 - Rickshaw Theatre - Vancouver, BC - Canada
Mar. 05 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
Mar. 06 - Branx - Portland, OR
Mar. 07 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA (No ABYSMAL DAWN)
Mar. 08 - The Whisky - Hollywood, CA
Mar. 09 - Soma - San Diego, CA
Mar. 10 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
Mar. 11 - El Cien - Amarillo, TX
Mar. 12 - Ridglea Theatre - Ft. Worth, TX
Mar. 13 - White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX
Mar. 15 - State Theater - St Petersburg, FL
Mar. 16 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
Mar. 17 - Jaxx - Springfield, VA
Mar. 18 - Alrosa Villa - Columbus, OH
Mar. 19 - Evening Star Music Hall - Niagara Falls, NY
Mar. 20 - Club Soda - Montreal, QC - Canada

"Heaven's Venom" sold around 2,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 8 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

KATAKLYSM's previous CD, "Prevail", opened with 2,250 units back in June 2008.

"Heaven's Venom" was produced by Jean-Francois Dagenais and was mixed by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MNEMIC, DARK TRANQUILLITY).

Chasing Avalanche’s Brandon Sammon’s Talks the Talk

During the fall of 2009, Los Angeles rock locals Chasing Avalanche got together to create a band of misfits unlike any other. Brandon Sammons on guitar and vocals caught up with me to discuss the band's debut release "Without the Hour". As well as whom he looks up to and where the band ends up come the holiday season.

1. So who came up with the name for the band?

Brandon: Mike Evans (Guitarist)

2. The band has a new album out called "Without The Hour". What are your thoughts on the album?

Brandon: I feel out of all the years of being songwriter’s in bands, this record is our best work yet. Everything from the songwriting, production, the musicianship, hard work and dedication to always evolving and shaping our craft, this one is "The One".

3. Do you have any personal favorites off the album?

Brandon: "Shame" it's the last track on the record. It’s one of my favorites because it shares a very personal meaning to me. Take what meaning you want from it and make it your own...

4. Who decided which songs would go onto the record?

Brandon: Mike and I, we started writing the record in the fall of 2009. We finalized all the songs that massed the record 2 days before going into the studio to record it.

5. How can a fan of the band purchase this album?

Brandon: You can go to iTunes, or our MySpace page for more online music stores.

www.myspace.com/chasingavalancheband

6. What bands do you admire?

Brandon: Deftones, Failure, Hum, Dredg, Codeseven, Thrice, Quicksand, Radiohead, the list     goes on and on.

7. What is the best thing about being in a band?

Brandon: The best thing for me would definitely be playing out live. All the energy and creativity getting released is the high of my life. It also works the same when I see other artists live that inspire or move me.

8. If you weren't a musician, what would you be?

Brandon: An Animator.

9. Do you have anything lined up for the holiday season?

Brandon: We are all pretty much LA transplants except our bassist Javi. We usually fly home to Kansas City, Missouri where Mike and I are from. Our drummer Bryan fly’s home to Boston.

10. Good luck with your new CD and thanks a lot for your time.

Brandon: Thank you so much for having me!

The Dreaming – Etched in Blood

Since their formation just eight years ago Hollywood rockstars The Dreaming have been hitting it hard and heavy since "Etched in Blood" hit the streets in its release of 2008. But before that the band had released four EP’s all of which frontman Chris Hall states that their first had sold over 7,500 copies internationally. Altogether the band has sold close to 30,000 copies. The first of the four was sold in limited qualities of only 500 and only those lucky enough to receive one through the band's old website or get one at one of their showcases was very considerate.

"Etched in Blood", came about in 2008 since then it's 11-tracks of electro based heavy metal hard rock material has given wave to quite an audience. "Dead to Me", "Bullet", "Ugly (Beautiful)", "Let It Burn", and "Sticks & Stones", is what makes this album stand out above all the other releases. Like for instance take “Dead to Me”, this solid electro metal tune is built upon a solid ground of hard hitting tempo beats with fast pacing guitar riffs that keeps the energy full and focused. Whereas “Let It Burn”, lays all of these methods out keeping the music at a stable base being not so driven.

“Ugly (Beautiful)”, and “Bullet”, play out to being quite the competitors having the same momentum of energy that makes the songs go through so fast you wouldn’t even know when one song ends and the other even begins. Their made up of fun energetic rhythms it’s hard to resist.  Lastly comes “Sticks & Stones”, that pulls off a rather bouncy effect that keeps the music in that techno electro beat keeping it all synced together really gives this tune that extra kick.

Once their second album “End in Tears”, comes out in the spring time of the New Year the outlook should become better than ever. For The Dreaming this is just the beginning.

MURDERDOLLS Announces 'Violent Night, Deadly Night' U.S. Tour

Warning! MURDERDOLLS will be disrupting the safety and comfort of your festive holiday season this December by embarking on a three-week trek across the U.S., dubbed "Violent Night, Deadly Night". Mayhem, marauding and monstrous trash rock anthems will surely ensue when MURDERDOLLS steamroll through your unsuspecting city or town!

Armed with a singular mission to spread some holiday fear with songs from their recent release, "Women and Children Last", MURDERDOLLS are making a list, checking it twice and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The tour will run from December 3 through December 21, with GET SCARED and VAMPIRES EVERYWHERE! providing support and furthering the commotion! No one is safe when these crews rage their way through your local venue. MURDERDOLLS guitarist Joey Jordison warned, "All the previous U.S. dates have been such a blast and we thank the fans so much for the support. These headline dates are going to kill even way more; we'll be playing longer and will have a monster of a set list. If there's a song you want to hear, just let us know. Shout it out loud like KISS! We can't wait to see you Ghouls."

MURDERDOLLS are fresh off the "Halloween Hootenanny" tour with ROB ZOMBIE and ALICE COOPER where they "killed it" every night. The 'DOLLS also appear on the cover of the current issue of Outburn magazine and recently performed on Fuel TV's "The Daily Habit", ripping through a hard-hitting set that consisted of "Nowhere" and "Chapel of Blood".

The band's 2011 European tour is proving to be a spectacle in and of itself. Shows have been upgraded to larger venues throughout the tour, and the 'DOLLS are causing general pandemonium and melee wherever and whenever they go.

Additionally, MURDERDOLLS will premiere the video for "Nowhere" on November 29.

The "Violent Night, Deadly Night" tour dates are below, with more on the horizon.

Dec. 03 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
Dec. 04 - Majestic - Detroit, MI
Dec. 06 - Gramercy - New York, NY
Dec. 07 - Altar - Pittsburgh, PA
Dec. 08 - Paradise - Boston, MA
Dec. 09 - Crocodile Rock - Allentown, PA
Dec. 10 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
Dec. 11 - Bourbon Street - Baltimore, MD
Dec. 12 – Newport - Columbus, OH
Dec. 14 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
Dec. 15 - People's Court - Des Moines, IA
Dec. 21 - The Marquee - Tulsa, OK
Dec. 22 - The Cotillion - Wichita, KS

MURDERDOLLS's current touring lineup is as follows:

* Wednesday 13 (WEDNESDAY 13, GUNFIRE 76, BOURBON CROW) - Lead Vocals
* Joey Jordison (SLIPKNOT, ROB ZOMBIE) - Guitar, Backing Vocals
* Roman Surman (GUNFIRE 76, BOURBON CROW) - Guitar
* Racci Shay Hart (WEDNESDAY 13, DOPE, GENITORTURERS) - Drums
* Jack Tankersley (BULLETS AND OCTANE) - Bass

Monster High the Ghoulish Trend Setters

This past summer Mattel released an addictive franchise that has not looked back, Monster High. This is a line of fashion dolls inspired by monster movies and horror fiction so unlike most fashion dolls these are more eerie. Most characters are being related to or are the offspring of such famous monsters as Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman, among others. But this franchise does not only limit to its doll addiction but branches out to other products as well, plush toys, stationery, bags, accessories, apparel, and rolls out to later become a full-length feature film since the hit online episodes have become such a hit.

Monster High Set

The online episodes or webisodes which premiered in May have ran a length of 1-2 minutes and has run a total of 15 episodes in its first seasonal run and is now in its second season.  A 30-minute Halloween special was shown on Nickelodeon this past October 31st entitled "Monster High: New Ghoul @ School". For this one time airing, Allisoon Iraheta had two songs playing in the backdrop; "Scars' and "Friday I'll Be Over U". It was said that the plot revolved round Frankie Stein as being the new student at Monster High and what she dealt with during her first week. Also in this episode’s run we get introduced to the other characters that have sparked our interest, Draculaura, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Cleo de Nile, Deuce Gorgon, Ghoulia, and Holt Hyde. Aside from this set of characters there are more on the horizon, Jackson Jekyll, Ghost Girl, Abbey Bominable, Spektra Von Hauntington, and Operetta. All of whom are based on the characters from, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Abominable Snowman, and Phantom of the Opera.

Gloom Beach Set

Mattel plans to release several new items between now and into the New Year as well which includes the Gloom Beach set and fashionable school spirit uniforms along with play sets for Draculaura's coffin bed as well as Frankie Stein's bed. As for the doll set be on the lookout for Ghost Girl and Abbey Bominable as well as a new set of plush dolls that includes Cleo De Nile, Decue Gorgon, and Lagoona.

Decue Gorgon Plush

Lagoona Plush

Cleo De Nile Plush

Draculaura Bed Play Set

Frankie Stein Bed Play Set

So now that you know the goods why not give it a shot and get your ghoulish side on. 

Cradle of Filth – Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa

Nineteen years have come and gone for English metallers Cradle of Filth who have conquered the world more than once. But over this time period something occurred that made the music that once sparked such an interest soon lose its charge. "Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa", is the ninth installment in this studio discography and when it comes down to it, Cradle of Filth has lost it.

"Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder", the previous release surrounds the same concept aspect. Except this time the demon Lilith who's the first wife of the Biblical Adam takes over the central plotline. Dani Filth (vocals) and lyrical writer for this album revealed in the September issue of Metal Hammer that this would be a "feminine" companion piece to Godspeed, " which was a masculine album due to its protagonist, Gilles De Rais. Unlike their previous releases based all upon the historical concept this one tells a whole another tale which Dani says is very original. Going into further discussion in saying that it’s a nice gothic horror story that’s all about the resurgence of Lilith into the modern society of being a deity.

"Retreat of the Sacred Heart", provides us with a look into how much Cradle of Filth has changed since they first got together. The vocal tactic Dani Filth has chosen to use just drowns out the music’s ability and skill. He tends to not fill out as he once had done so long ago so this raw undertone of skill just falls flat. "The Spawn of Love and War", has a brief instrumental intro then soon breaks way for the rest of the band to come thundering through but again Dani Filth's skill is lagging so much so it’s hard to listen all the way through. The other band mates manage to keep it together pushing the music into a spiral aspect of repeating textures. Like take the guitar and drum work both go head to head at various points and then clash altogether.

"Beyond Eleventh Hour", pulls out a softer side to Cradle of Filth allowing the piano to play its brief role as an introduction is spoken fully through and then breaks apart by another rupturing thunder rhythm as did “Retreat of the Sacred Heart”.

Cradle of Filth may have been around for nineteen years but the longer they continue to reign the shorter their career may soon come to an end. 

Chasing Avalanche – Without The Hour

When things for Phantom Communique turned to the worse causing the band to call it quits, former bass player Jaiver Gardeazabal went onto pursue other projects including rock locals Chasing Avalanche. Who have proven to be the next best thing to ever come within the rock genre falling between the lines of sounding like Papa Roach meets New Medicine.

The band consists of Brandon Sammons (vocals, guitar, and keys), Mike Evans (guitars/vocals), Bryan Panzeri (drums) and Javier Gardeazabal (bass). Chasing Avalanche is not just a diverse rock act from Los Angeles, California. These Californians bring much more to the table with a new dynamic approach to the modern rock scene. Their sound is mixed with heartfelt lyrics, upbeat melodies, uplifting guitar riffs with outgoing ability to suck in the listener.

By doing this, their debut album "Without The Hour", seeks out to whole generation of music listeners, drawing them in with such songs as "It's Nothing", "Weight of the World", and "Explain the Thoughts", each containing that source of momentum that keeps the music so refreshing. These songs alone set up this album and the whole concept of wanting to life your life not ever wanting to let go of it. Chasing Avalanche has built a solid base for what they want to do and there is no stopping them whatsoever. 

X JAPAN Showcases Natalie's World Review/Photos

X JAPAN's official website has posted a link to the review and photographs I shot of X Japan's first U.S. appearance this past September on the band's first ever U.S. tour. Alongside the Japanese go getters were Los Angeles locals and new comers Vampires Everywhere! who have been doing nothing but touring their asses off since their formation not to long ago. Be sure to look out for both acts come the New Year!

Club 2 the Max Enthusiasts Rejoice

Max Arcade Game Enthusiasts Rejoice as Club 2 the MAX Brings Some of the Hottest Games to their Convention July 1-3, 2011 in Anaheim, CA at the Anaheim Convention Center! www.club2themax.com.  Spread the word!

First Blood – Silence is Betrayal

Hardcore thrashers First Blood have returned with their follow-up release to 2004's "Killafornia” entitled "Silence is Betrayal". The album begins with the "Intro", track that states “the revolution is underway” which easily builds up into "Silence". The album is concept based and each of the individual tracks has a theme to go with it. Like take "Enemy", this builds up the anger within and once released it doesn't want to back down its right. "Resist", has its anthem cry for help crying simply that "I refuse! No I won't comply!" whereas "Enslaved" wakes up those who have not gotten the message yet.

The album surrounds itself to being nothing more than your average take on what hardcore is. The constant breakdowns, two stepping treks with shout-along vocal chanting that keeps the music pulsed and pumped. First Blood's guitar, bass, and drum tactics is well thought out and has a solid mix of what to expect.

First Blood has urgency to get their voice heard and the word out because as they put it, time is running thin. It is time to call in and take action because this silence has been broken and has turned into pure betrayal, nothing more.

Cradle Of Filth releases "Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa"

CRADLE OF FILTH: “DARKLY, DARKLY, VENUS AVERSA” OUT NOW ON NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS

Full album stream live on AOL.com

ENGLAND – Britain’s infamous extreme heavy metal act, Cradle Of Filth, has unleashed its highly anticipated ninth studio album, Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, today in North America on Nuclear Blast Records.
The sinister concept album about Adam’s first wife, the lavish demoness Lilith, can be purchased online through the Nuclear Blast webstore at: http://store.nuclearblastusa.com/ or on iTunes at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/darkly-darkly-venus-aversa/id398728607. A special 2LP version will hit stores on November 22nd. Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is currently streaming in its entirety at: http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/10 until November 15th.

The track list for Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa is:

1.)    The Cult Of Venus Aversa
2.)    One Foul Step From The Abyss
3.)    The Nun With The Astral Habit
4.)    Retreat Of The Sacred Heart
5.)    The Persecution Song
6.)    Deceiving Eyes
7.)    Lilith Immaculate
8.)    The Spawn Of Love And War
9.)    Harlot On A Pedestal
10.)  Forgive Me Father (I Have Sinned)
11.)  Beyond Eleventh Hour

“Dani Filth still has a few tricks up his ruffled sleeves... Cradle still have the power to enslave.” – Decibel Magazine

Cradle Of Filth will support Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa on a headlining North American tour early next year, the “FEARnet and Decibel Presents: Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour”.  Nachtmystium, Turisas, and Daniel Lioneye will round out the tour’s impressive package on Cradle Of Filth’s long-awaited return to North American shores.

Tickets for the “FEARnet and Decibel Presents: Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour” are on sale now.  Special VIP meet-and-greet ticket packages are available exclusively through Artist Arena at: http://tixx1.artistarena.com/cradleoffilth/.  Meet-and-greet packages are limited, so fans are encouraged to seize this rare opportunity before it’s too late.

The Grammy nominated, Cradle Of Filth, continues to shock, excite, disgust, and inspire in equal measures.  A loyal stalwart to the satanic horror ethos, Cradle Of Filth’s forthcoming, Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa, was recorded at Monkey Puzzle Studios, near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk, England, and is the follow-up to 2008’s Godspeed On The Devil's Thunder.  Artwork comes courtesy of Natalie Shau.

Whether through their wildly elaborate & theatrical live shows (which incorporate giant lumbering puppets, fire-breathing dancers, freaks and stilt-walkers), provocative merchandise (including the now legendary ‘Jesus Is A C***’ t-shirt), breathtaking artwork, or the weighty subject matter of their albums (their last told the story of a French Lord who fought alongside Joan Of Arc before embarking on a horrific killing spree), Cradle Of Filth is a band whose uncompromising stance has been rewarded with legions of fans around the world, making them the most successful British heavy metal band since Iron Maiden.

Be sure to check out the Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa mini-site at: http://www.peaceville.com/cradleoffilth for exclusive Cradle Of Filth media, including song previews, video blogs, an iPhone app, and more.    

Stay tuned to for more information on Cradle Of Filth, the “FEARnet and Decibel Presents: Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour”, and Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa.

“FEARnet and Decibel Presents: Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour"

Feb. 1 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Feb. 2 - Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom
Feb. 4 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
Feb. 5 - Pomona, CA @ Fox Theater
Feb. 6 - Las Vegas, NV@ House of Blues      
Feb. 8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia Live
Feb. 9 - San Francisco, CA@ Regency Ballroom
Feb. 11 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox Theatre
Feb. 12 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
Feb. 13 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Feb. 15 - Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Center
Feb. 16 - Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall Ballroom          
Feb. 18 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Feb. 20 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Feb. 21 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Feb. 23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Zoo
Feb. 25 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
Feb. 26 - Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
Feb. 27 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
Feb. 28 - Quebec City, QC @ Imperial de Quebec  
Mar. 2 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
Mar. 3 - New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
Mar. 4 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium
Mar. 5 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
Mar. 6 - Baltimore, MD @  Bourbon Street Ballroom
Mar. 8 - Norfolk, VA @ Norva Theatre
Mar. 9 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Mar. 11 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Mar. 12 - Orlando, FL @ Firestone
Mar. 13 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

Cradle Of Filth is…
Dani Filth (vocals)
Paul Allender (guitar)
James McIlroy (guitar)
David Pybus (bass)
Martin Skaroupka (drums)
Caroline Campbell (keys)

Cradle Of Filth online…
www.cradleoffilth.com
www.myspace.com/cradleoffilth
www.facebook.com/pages/Cradle-of-Filth/6514209076
www.nuclearblastusa.com
www.myspace.com/nuclearblastusa