Metallica new album preview has now been posted from Classic Rock
Posted on June 6, 2008
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Metallica new album preview has now been posted from Classic Rock
Band Photo: Metallica
Classic Rock Magazine has issued the following report:
Classic Rock was among a select band of rock journalists to hear a taster from the new Metallica album today. At present untitled, the band’s new record has been nicknamed by management “Nine epics and one song”. We heard six of ‘em – unmixed and all unnamed (we guess at some of the titles in our track by track, below).
Classic Rock was one of the few magazines to give the band’s last album, St. Anger, a bad review on its release, Philip Wilding giving it 2/5. “It’s unfettered hell-for-leather nonsense pretty much from beginning to end,” he wrote. “Forget nuance or gravitas – or Metallica, for that matter – this is latter-day heavy metal pulverised into a risible mush that owes as much to rock music’s deviation in the last three years, as to the credible legend that Metallica have built and cultivated since the early 80s.
“This, you reason, must be the sound of a mid-life crisis…”
The following year’s documentary Some Kind Of Monster let fans see exactly that – the creative and personal meltdown that occurred during the creative process.
So is the new album the sound of conquering heroes? Or just the sound of some multi-millionaires with a franchise to exploit? Does it try too hard to please – or is it the sound of a band who know they’ve got everything to prove and the year is their’s for the taking?
Maybe it’s the one multi-million-selling triumph that will actually get some radio airplay without resorting to Chili Peppers-style bland-outs. Maybe it’s a re-hash of former glories. Maybe it’s too little too late. Or maybe it’s some metal masters showing the young pretenders how to do it (with riffs and solos and, y’know, singing – not growling).
Are the lyrics the work of a middle-aged doofus with a rhyming dictionary? Or are they the work of thrash titans who’ve found a voice and created fittingly intense music for these intense times?
The jury is out until we can spend some quality time with the album. Until then, this is what we heard…
Track one – (working title ‘Flamingo’)
Opens with a lightly chorus guitar riff, slightly reminiscent of Sandman, a hugely long intro before a gruff, Hetfield patented “three four” breaks down into a SLAYER-ish thrashy riff barrage.The drum sound is infinitely better than St Anger. Includes a serious wah-wah breakdown and several, distinct melodic chorus refrains. Could be a good radio bet – there’s no mistaking that it’s a Metallica song.
Which is more than could be said of St Anger. Back in the early 00s, of course, Nu Metal producer/overlord Ross Robinson famously banned guitar solos from albums by the likes of SLIPKNOT. That Metallica – metal’s biggest band – seemed to toe the line with this philosophy in order to win the kids over beggared belief.
The good news? The guitar solos are back. With a vengeance. Hammett has been let back off the leash – this track even sees him breaking open the whammy pedal again for a spot of Tom Morello-esque tomfoolery.
Its false ending even fooled the guy from management who has heard it several times before!
Track two – (aka The Single)
It’s an eight-minute behemoth. Intro has elements of techno metal, vaguely reminiscent of QUEENSRŸCHE’s Silent Lucidity clean picked guitar sound (think Martha & the Muffins’ Echo Beach on downers).It’s a Metallica power ballad – whoever thought a Met song would ever feature the line ‘Love is a four-letter word’? – and it follows more traditional lines than their previous forays into balladry.
Just when you think it might be a little meandering, The Single breaks down with a Battery-style riff and Hammett and Hetfield let rip with a twin-guitar THIN LIZZY-style solo. Nice.
The solo doesn’t stop there, Hammett takes centre stage and ramps it up with a very technical, IRON MAIDEN fret melting solo.
Read the full article at Classic Rock Magazine.
http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=37094
Axl Rose continue to defy all odds with potential music video reality show of Chinese Democracy album
Posted on April 9, 2008
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Axl Rose continue to defy all odds with potential music video reality show of Chinese Democracy album
We king of jokingly predicted this:
According to sources at Geffen (Rose’s music label) a version of "Chinese Democracy" has been finished and delivered to the label. But there are still outstanding issues between the singer and the label, not the least of which is a recording cost for the project which (depending on who you believe), has reached between $11 and $15 million. Another stickler is the digital rights for the tracks, along with some proposed "bonus" tracks Geffen would like to release digitally.
This reality show project would be part of a larger effort to build buzz for an album which faces a number of promotional hurdles. Rose’s recent concert appearances have been erratic at best, and many fans of the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup are going to require some persuasion before embracing this new sound. Rose is also not an especially "journalist-friendly" preformer, making promotion for the project even more difficult.
The new (still untitled) reality show would follow Rose and his band as they prepare for release of the album. It would include behind-the-scenes rehearsal and studio footage, as well as interviews with a number of the participants. "There is a lot of footage to choose from," said a network source. "Some of it is incredibly personal and revealing about Axl’s life."
According to the network source, the deal for the show is "close, but not signed." Part of the holdup seems to be the timing, as the particpants want to integrate the show into a timeline with the leadup to the album’s release, along with the announcment of a limited number of concert dates.
http://www.allyourtv.com/0708season/news/april/04082008axlrose.html
How does a fan make a better music video than the original Avenged Sevenfold one for A Little Piece of Heaven
Posted on April 9, 2008
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How does a fan make a better music video than the original Avenged Sevenfold one for A Little Piece of Heaven
youtube.com — Upon discovering this video and reading comments, it’s quite apparent that the general population of the world agrees that this FAN MADE video far surpasses the quality of the original.
http://digg.com/music/Fan_Made_Avenged_Sevenfold_Video_BETTER_Than_Original
We wait Gene Simmons (KISS) lawyers to call as he likes to vacation while being underground
Posted on April 8, 2008
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We wait Gene Simmons (KISS) lawyers to call as he likes to vacation while being underground
"Had a ball doing my speaking engagement [in] Nashville early this morning (Friday, April 4). About 1,200 entrepreneurs from many sections of he business world were on hand.
"I have a very free-flowing style — do not use notes and usually have no clue where I’m going. Some of what I do in my speaking engagements has to do with biographical material (you want to know where someone came from, in order to gauge where they are now)… Some of it has to do with my training (taught sixth grade for a very short time in Spanish Harlem, worked as executive assistant to the director of the Puerto Rican interagency council when I was 23 years old… worked for the editor of Vogue (Kate Lloyd) during that time…and so on… And most of it has to do with being insatiable and voracious when it comes to information — pop culture, sociology, history, religion, politics…and so on. The rest has to do with a strict, no-nonsense work ethic. I never worried about a job. But I always made sure I worked. I have never vacationed. And have no plans to. Lots of time to vacation when you’re underground. I have never married though I have been in a relationship for 25 years. I never do one thing. I ’spread the risk’ — like a mutual fund. Never keep the eggs in one basket. I hardly ever gamble. And the rest has to do with the planets lining up and being in the right place at the right time.
"And after the above, I hopped on a plane and got my butt down to St. Petersburg for the Indycar race. Lest you forgot, our Simmons Abramson Marketing venture does the worldwide branding/marketing for the IndyCar Series, including the Indy 500. Check out Indycar.com for the finest in motor sports."
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?Mode=Archive&Date=4/5/2008
Bret Michaels (Poison) head exposed in Rock of Love Music video
Posted on April 4, 2008
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Bret Michaels (Poison) head exposed in Rock of Love Music video
Lucky for you, you don’t have to wait that long.
To get a long, hard look at his head in all of its exposed glory, fast forward to 2:06 in the video below. I admit, it’s kind of anticlimactic.
http://earthnocentric.blogspot.com/2008/04/bret-michaels-without-his-bandanna.html
Music Video What would Metallica sound like if they were on cellos?
Posted on March 30, 2008
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Music Video What would Metallica sound like if they were on cellos?
Here is Apocalyptica.
Are we supposed to laugh or cry as Emos are attached In Mexican music video?
Posted on March 26, 2008
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Are we supposed to laugh or cry as Emos are attached In Mexican music video?
"The movement is being generated on message boards and social networking sites by non-emo youth who highly dislike like the emo look and attitude. The spark came first in Queretaro on March 7. An estimated 800 young people poured into the city’s Centro Historico hunting for emos to beat the crap out of. They found some. The next weekend it spread to Mexico City, where emos faced off against punks and rockabillies at the Glorieta de Insurgents, the epicenter of emo social space in the capital. There’s also been reports of anti-emo violence in Durango, Colima, and elsewhere."
They are also probably crying about their ex-girl friends and burnt sweaters.
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/
Rock of Love 3: The open letter from John Mayer to be host the VHI music video show
Posted on March 26, 2008
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Rock of Love 3: The open letter from John Mayer to be host the VHI music video show
Funny. Here is a John Mayer open letter to VHI explaining why he would be a better host than Bret Michaels for Rock of Love 3.
- It would be called Rock of Love 3, not Rock of Love III. VH1 viewers don’t have the time to figure out the Roman numerals, nor do they want to.
- No girls with tattoos all over their arms. No girls with fake boobs, fake lips, fake hair colors, fake eyebrows. No Pussycat Dolls-like apparel, trucker hats, or camouflage/pink clothes. No more than one thin coat of base and mascara will be allowed.
- I don’t wear headbands covering most of my head like Bret Michaels does. When I get a receding hairline one day, I’ll wear it proudly.
- I don’t wear makeup. Think of the money you will save in not buying Maybelline for Men and in not paying a couple makeup artists.
- Instead of Big John handing me VIP passes during elimination rounds, we can have Andy Kindler handing me guitar picks. Get it? I’m “picking” which girls will make it to the next round. Plus, Andy Kindler will provide some comic relief. That guy is hilarious!
- No cameras. Let’s just cut out the whole “episode” thing now that I think about it some more. You’ll save money on cameramen, editors, and wardrobe people. The idea is that the “show” will just happen naturally. I’ll eliminate girls as I see fit - like I do in real life – and then I’ll blog about it here. This will save you an estimated $1.3 million dollars.
- Ready for this? This is a pretty revolutionary idea: Before and after Rock of Love 3 is aired, play nothing but music videos. Remember when you played music videos? Wouldn’t it be wild if you could stop competing with MTV for who has the most reality shows, and start playing videos? No one else is doing it, you know.
- In fact, scrap this Rock of Love 3 idea. Also, stop Rock of Love II before the train wreck is over. Start playing videos right now. Think of the headlines you would create. The music industry will be buzzing, referring to VH1 as the “badboy” and the “rebel” of the music industry by playing nothing but music videos.
- You can throw in the video “Your Body is a Wonderland” every once in a while. It won some awards.
All the best,
John Mayer
http://www.newsgroper.com/john-mayer/2008/03/26/open-letter-vh1
Check Out The Raconteurs New Music Video From Jack White of the White Stripes
Posted on March 25, 2008
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Check Out The Raconteurs New Music Video From Jack White of the White Stripes
As we promised, you can see the video for “Salute Your Solution” on
www.theraconteurs.com today! We’ve made it available as a widget that you can
embed from the intro page and you can also view it by visiting the “media”
section of the site. It was directed by Autumn de Wilde and is comprised of
over 2500 different photographs.
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of “Consolers of the Lonely”, available
everywhere today!
NME ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH MYSPACE FOR FIRST EVER NME MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS U.S.
Posted on March 25, 2008
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NME ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH MYSPACE FOR FIRST EVER NME MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS U.S.
NME - the longest-running and most famous music weekly in the world - today announced an exclusive partnership with the world’s leading social network, MySpace (http://www.myspace.com), to stream the first ever NME Awards US live from Los Angeles next month. In addition to streaming the awards, MySpace will also be presenting the Best Band of the Year award.
The hugely successful NME Awards UK - renowned as the most important and prestigious event for British fans of cutting-edge music - will be held in the US for the first time in Los Angeles at Goldenvoice’s historic El Rey Theatre on April 23, two days before the Coachella Music and Arts Festival begins.
MySpace will exclusively stream the invitation-only star-studded event, covering not only the Awards themselves but a string of unique live performances from a host of established and breakthrough artists.
"NME has been a leader in discovering and promoting new music for decades–their award show has always been a legendary line-up of who’s who in music," said Josh Brooks, MySpace VP of Marketing and Content. "MySpace’s partnership with NME is a reflection of our commitment to empowering up and coming artists to living legends with a vehicle to be heard. The MySpace webcast ensures that everyone around the world–not just the lucky few in the audience–will be talking about the show the next day."
Eleven categories have been open for voting at the world’s fastest music news service www.nme.com , and it was announced today more categories will be added including American Alternative/Indie Album of the Year (sponsored by www.ew.com, the award-winning online extension of Entertainment Weekly); Best New American Alternative/Indie Band, (sponsored by Yahoo! Music the global internet service provider) and Best Video (sponsored by leading broadband entertainment provider www.heavy.com.)
Four other categories announced today and open for voting include Best American Alternative/Indie Live Act, Best New American Alternative/Indie Live Act, Best Film and Best TV Show.
EW.com managing editor Jay Woodruff says: "We are thrilled to sponsor Best Album of the Year and delighted to help welcome the NME Awards to America."
Yahoo! Music managing editor Lyndsey Parker says: "Finally, after years of enviously reading all about the NME Awards festivities occurring way on the other side of the pond, Stateside indie fans are getting in on the fun! Yahoo! is thrilled to be part of this great moment in Anglo-American relations."
Heavy.com VP, entertainment, Jimmy Jellinek says: "Heavy.com is thrilled to be an inaugural partner of the NME US Awards. For the world’s leading music magazine to team with the world largest men’s video site (15 million uniques a month) is a match made in rock n’ roll heaven."
Winners will be voted for by NME.COM’s US audience across key categories, while others, including the famous Godlike Genius Award, will be chosen by NME’s editorial team.
The event, in association with Goldenvoice - part of leading sports and entertainment presenters AEG Worldwide - will be covered comprehensively on NME.COM. With 1.8 Million unique users, NME.COM is one of the world’s biggest music websites, and the fastest growing audience for its news and reviews is in the US.
The NME Awards Tour, which features Kate Nash, and is produced by Art Show Touring- a national touring division of Goldenvoice, kicks off in Atlanta on April 15, sweeps across US cities, ending in San Francisco on May 13. It also includes two Canadian dates - Toronto on April 28, and Vancouver on May 8.
NME publishing director Paul Cheal says: "The arrival of the awards in the US not only allows us to build on our amazing heritage, but also to bring our biggest live event to a US audience that is using NME.COM in ever greater numbers. It’s great news to have such powerful supporters to work with."
The shortlist for all categories will be unveiled on 7th April online at www.nme.com.
