Artwork and Track Listing for "Unto The Locust"

Machine Head has released the artwork and track listing for their upcoming album "Unto The Locust", due in stores September 27 via Roadrunner Records.

Track listing for "Unto The Locust":

01 – I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)
I) Sangre Sani
II) I Am Hell
III) Ashes To The Sky
02 – Be Still And Know
03 – Locust
04 – This Is The End
05 – Darkness Within
06 – Pearls Before The Swine
07 – Who We Are


Available only on the deluxe edition:

08 – The Sentinel
09 – Witch Hunt
10 – Darkness Within (Acoustic)


(Machine Head - Locust)


A DVD will also be available on the deluxe edition, featuring a documentary of some sort.  No more information available at this time for the DVD.

The boys are currently on tour with Godsmack, Disturbed, Megadeth, In Flames, Trivum, and more on the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival.

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Release New Single on Brand New Label

Its been almost 2.5 years since we have heard anything from the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus team.  The boys are coming out full force in preparation for their upcoming album "Am I The Enemy" due in stores August 30th, 2011 via (newly formed) Collective Sounds.

The first single from the album can be found here as a Rolling Stone exclusive:

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Dreams

Rolling Stone magazine recently sat down with lead vocalist Ronnie Winter about the switch from Virgin Records to form their own label:

"We were not dropped.  There are always gonna be rumors when you walk away from the label, but the simple fact is they offered us a new deal with 360 right.  So when they say, 'Now we want you to sign this new deal and we get a percentage of your merchandise and ticket sales,' I’m not cool with that and the band wasn’t cool with that. We walked away."

RJA also have added another single to their website from their upcoming album titled "Reap":

You can catch RJA on tour currently with Godsmack.

Fiver Finger Death Punch Release "Under and Over It"

Fiver Finger Death Punch have released their first single entitled "Under and Over It" from their upcoming album "American Capitalist" due in stores October 11th via Prospect Park Records.  Below is a copy of the single via YouTube:

Vocalist Ivan Moody recently sat down with Revolver magazine to explain the new single:

"This one is about the rumors and gossip that go on everywhere—especially online. It’s comical to see how much crazy, ill-informed shit people will post as news and when they’re trolling around message boards. In today’s day and age, speculation and bad info can just fly around the internet and catch fire—even when it’s completely false and unfounded. Funny shit."

POD Release New Single for Upcoming Album

Payable On Death have released the first single from their unnamed upcoming album.  "On Fire" was released via POD's website (Payableondeath.com) and is available for a FREE download.  No further information has been released as of now.  Only that the album is expected for release in spring of 2012.

Currently, POD consists of:


Sonny Sandoval − lead vocals (1992–present)
Wuv Bernardo − drums (1992–present)
Traa Daniels − bass guitar (1994–present)
Marcos Curiel − lead guitar (1992–2003, 2006–present)

A picture video for the new single "On Fire" has made its way onto Youtube:

Staind Releases Album Artwork and Lyric Video

Massachusetts hard rockers Staind will be releasing their (self titled) seventh album on September 13th, 2011 via Atlantic Records.

"It's completely different than the last record.  It's more of a throwback to where we came from. I definitely think it's fresh. It's a modern-sounding version of a heavy Staind record. It's pretty cool." - Mike Mushok

Track listing for new album:

01. Not Again
02. Eyes Wide Open
03. Failing
04. Wannabe
05. Throw It All Away
06. Now
07. The Bottom
08. Take a Breath
09. Paper Wings
10. Something To Remind You

The first single ("Not Again") for the album has a lyric video to it now:

No information has been released for a tour as of yet.  More details to come.

'August Burns Red - Internal Cannon' video released

August Burns Red have announced the first music video from their new album "Leveler".  The single chosen for the video was none other than "Internal Cannon".

"We shot the 'Internal Cannon' video in the middle of nowhere in New Jersey at an old water pumping station. The video was shot four stories underground at the base of a massive antique water pumping apparatus. There was no way to get down except for a rickety narrow spiral staircase which made loading the equipment very tricky. It was easily the sketchiest load in of our lives. The floor was dirt/mud and I played in bare feet to help portray the grittiness of the location. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is a single clip in the video where you can see my bare feet." -JB Brubaker

Track listing for Leveler:

01. Empire
02. Internal Cannon
03. Divisions
04. Cutting the Ties
05. Pangaea
06. Carpe Diem
07. 740 Nights
08. Salt & Light
09. Poor Millionaire
10. 1/16/2011
11. Boys of Fall
12. Leveler

Leveler was released on June 21, 2011 via Solid State Records (produced by Jason Suecof).  Leveler sold around 29,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 11 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Redemption - This Mortal Coil" Unveiled

LA progressive rockers Redemption have announced their fifth studio LP entitled "This Mortal Coil", set to be released October 11th (North America) via InsideOut Music.

(Artwork done by Travis Smith)

"I'm extremely pleased to announce that work on 'This Mortal Coil' has been completed. It was a pleasure to work with Neil Kernon during the production, although I dare say we had more challenges and curve-balls in this process than either of us is accustomed to. Nonetheless, we overcame everything in our path, from Internet failures to lightning strikes, and since one of the themes of this CD is essentially overcoming adversity, the production process served as a bit of a metaphor for the whole concept!" 

-Nick van Dyk



A tour is soon to follow.  More details to be posted in the coming days.

A Weekend In Review: HEAVY T.O. 2011

So the weekend has come and went.  The dust is now settled and Downsview Park is left in shambles!   This weekend was the beginning of what is hoped to be a long standing new tradition for Toronto rock and metal fans alike.  Fans from all over Ontario (as well as a few Americans I saw) took part in the two day festival of Heavy TO.  Filmed live (Heavy TO Stream) for everyone across the internet to see, the inaugural festival kicked off to a great start with the sun shining, the beer flowing and the bands rocking!

Saturday had a wide variety of great metal bands playing:

Endast

Devildriver (setlist)

Lead voicalist, Dez, always knows how to get a crowd going and with the loyal DD fans at the ready, they had no problem accomplishing that.  Even for 1:30 in the afternoon, these guys showed no mercy when it came to starting the circle pits and the infamous wall of death!

Diamondhead (setlist)

All I can say is... AM I EVIL?!

Underoath

No spirit fingers for the Christian metal heads this time around, but did manage to deafen some of the crowd with their low end triggers. "BBBBWWWWOOOOMMMMBBBBB!"

Times of Grace

Adam D is the man!  This guy was running around on stage the entire performance, giving the crowd exactly what they needed :-).  His solos were epic, their breakdowns were flawless and was a great warm up for As I  Lay Dying!

As I Lay Dying

In my personal opinion, the best band that Heavy TO could have asked for on Saturday.  These guys instantly commanded attention and presence as soon as they hit the stage.  Ripping from one song to another, these mosh pits were absolutely deadly during hit songs like "Through Struggle" and "Confined". 

Anthrax (setlist)

As I Lay Dying - Confined

All the bands did great performance and really got the crowd into the spirit of the festival.  As a great sign of respect, newer bands paid homage and tribute to a lot of the bands they grew up listening to, and now sharing a stage with them.  The rain held off for most of the day, but unfortunately I decided to take off halfway through the set of Motorhead.  Kudos to Lemmy though for belting out those classic tunes!

As if the first day wasn’t enough, we decided to pack our s**t once more and venture back to Downsview Park for round two of this shindig.  We knew right from the starting of the day that there was a few bands getting some flack from the crowd, simply for not being “heavy enough”.  Billy Talent and Melissa Auf De Maur struggled to keep the crowds on their side, but overall prevailed and got some fist pumping and even the odd mosh pit.

Sunday’s lineup was just as good as Saturdays:

Death Angel

Volbeat (setlist)

Unfortunately, Volbeat (already minus a guitarist) had to cut heir set short due to technical problems with the sound.  A wall of noise prevented fans from hearing the guitar and some of the bass riffs.

Baptized in Blood

Testament (setlist)

Slayer (setlist)

No argument, these guys came here with a purpose of domination.  Even without Jeff, these guys ripped apart the stage, making it extremely hard for Billy Talent to follow. :-S

Billy Talent (setlist)

Now these guys had some major balls to play their set right after Slayer and before Rob Zombie.  With a tall order to fill, these guys came out on top.  Even with the bottles and objects flying at their heads, these guys were humble to be at the show and sharing stages with some major metal acts over the years.  Billy Talent knew they were not a metal band and did not try to act as one.  They played right into the crowd, reading banners out loud with quotes such as "Billy Talent Sucks" and "Die Billy Die".  Disappointed as a fan of many genres of music, but then again, ignorance is bliss and close minded fans won't be changed.

Rob Zombie (setlist)

All I got to say is... ZOMBIE BROUGHT DOWN THE HOUSE!

Rob Zombie - Scum of the Earth

After about 20+ hours on my feet, the heat was really taking its toll.  Thank goodness for the Mike’s Hard Lemonade crew for hooking us up with bandanas, drenched in ice water to keep us all cool and alive.   Overall, the weekend came and went with great success.  The festival had some great coverage between radio, posters and some massive banners plastered everywhere around the Park area.  Tailgate parties in the parking lots, mosh pits with kids flying, meet and greet with the bands, and even a Schecter instrument sampling area to shred in front of anyone caring to listen.  I hope this provided you with enough jealousy to hit this festival up next year.  Can’t wait to see who they have lined up for the second coming of Heavy TO! J

*MAKE SURE TO HEAD TO AFGM via FACEBOOK FOR THE ENTIRE PHOTO SHOOTS OF BOTH (Day 1 & 2) DAYS*

Beaches International Jazz Festival

Queen street was the place to be last night!  The Streetsfest section of the Beaches International Jazz Festival got off to a great start last night.  Despite the extreme heat, people from all over Toronto (and outside GTA) flocked to the beaches of Queen Street for some amazing performances by 50+ artists and bands.

 (Crowd gathering round MBBJE)

Everyone from the community took part in event, with restaurants offering great deals on food and drink, some even setting up tents on Queen Street for promotion and exposure.  The bars and patios were alive and kicking with beer moving as fast as Dr. Draw's violin work!

 (Queen Street packed during the Jazz Festival)

A lot of different styles of music all came together last night.  From jazz, to blues, rock, celtic, folk, big band, etc.  All of which had great response with couples dancing the heat wave away.  I myself started to find my hips moving without even knowing it.  The music honestly gets to you!

(Seagull All Stars)

So in turn, I invite anyone with the weekend off to hit up this amazing annual event for a great festival.  With more food, drink, smiles, company and music than you can shake a drumstick at, its a great time for anyone to get some GTA culture!

(Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble)

Bands taking part in the weekend festivities are:

1899 Queen St. E. (Brigitta’s) Dr. Draw
1910 Queen St. E. (Ci Vediamo) Ninja Funk Orchestra
1921 Queen St. E. (Syllogy) Sultans of String
1930 Queen St. E. (Ends) Go Freddie Go
1938 Queen St. E. John Dickie & Steve Hunter/Two Men from Earth
1945 Queen St. E. (Incurable Collector) Elmer Ferrer
1943 Queen St. E. (The Gull & The Firkin) Jason Wilson
1958 Queen St. E. (Lion on the Beach) David Rotundo
1961 Queen St. E. (Whitlock's) Yiannis Kapoulas
1970 Queen St. E. (Bow Thai) Puente del Diablo
1972 Queen St. E. (Seagulls) Seagull All-Stars
1982 Queen St. E. (Starbuck's) God Made Me Funky

-Fire Hall-Northwest Driveway Blackboard Blues Band
-Beach United Church (Main Entrance) Tokyo Giants (Friday & Saturday night)
-Beach United Church (Queen St. Entrance) Mississauga Big Band (Fri& Sat night) Advocats (Thurs night)
-KEW Gardens (West Entrance) Brian Rose Little Big Band
-Beach Public Library Gardens (East Entrance) The Lost Fingers

2018 Queen St. E. (Bagel World) Scott McCord & The Bonafide Truth
2169 Queen St. E. (Coles) Downtown Dixieland Band
2175 Queen St. E. (RBC) Fathead
2185 Queen St. E. (LCBO) KC Roberts
2193 Queen St. E. (The Beauty Supply Outlet) Mae Cromwell
2076 Queen St. E. (Gabby's / Scotia Bank) Johnny Max Band
2090 Queen St. E. (Hair Dynamix) Cache
2233 Queen St. E. (Fine Car Lot) Neil Chapman
2114 Queen St. E. (First Choice Hair Cutters) Phillips Westin Orchestra

-Corner of Queen St. E. & Hammersmith Ave. Paul Reddick

2253 Queen St. E. (Starbucks Coffee) Rob Christian
2259 Queen St. E. (Sleep Country) Quincy Bullen
2142 Queen St. E. (Wild Earth Café) Brownman Electryc Trio
2271 Queen St. E. (Totto Salon & Spa) Johannes Linstead
2148 Queen St. E. (Swiss Chalet) Toronto All Star Big Band
2301 Queen St. E. (Royal LePage) Project Phoenix
2305 Queen St. E. (The Pie Shack) Maya Chilton
2152 Queen St. E. (Real Estate Homeward) Blue Room
2186 Queen St. E. (Lens Factory) La-Nai Gabriel’s Free People
2196 Queen St. E. (Beach Mac) Not Affiliated Big Band
2198 Queen St. E. (Arts on Queen) Erin McCallum
2206 Queen St. E. (Healthy Earth School) Jeanine Mackie
2210 Queen St. E. (Pet Valu) Michael Pickett
2216 Queen St. E. (Intelligent Creatures) Big Rude Jake
2232 Queen St. E. (Quigley's) Best of Quigley's
2373 Queen St. E. (Suzuki Shiatsu) Imbayakunas

-Balmy Beach Club (foot of Beach Ave.) Groove Corporation

Birthdays in Music!

A happy birthday goes out to:

George Clinton

Rick Davies (Supertramp)

Don Henley (The Eagles)

Will Calhoun (Living Color)

Daniel Jones (Savage Garden)

Rufus Wainwright

Kittie Reveals Album Details, Single and Tour Dates

London, ON femme fatales' Kittie are set to release their 6th studio album dubbed "I've Failed You".  The album is set for release on August 30th via eOne Music.

"We have been working exceptionally hard, crafting what is to be our sixth full-length release, and our second for eOne.  In some cases these new songs are faster, darker and much more sinister than our previous release. It contains some of the most difficult and personal subject matter I have had the pleasure (or displeasure) of writing." -Morgan Lander


The first single "We Are The Lamb" can be heard exclusively through AOL's Noisecreep here

Dates for their upcoming tour is as follows:
8/11 Cave In Rock, IL. - Hog Rock (Gathering of the Juggalos)
8/12 Waterloo, IA. - Spicoli's Rock Garden
8/13 Milwaukee, WI. - The Rave
8/14 Joliet, IL. - Mojoes
8/16 Sauget, IL. - Pop's
8/18 Louisville, KY. - Phoenix Hill Tavern
8/19 Columbus, OH. - Al Rosa Villa
8/20 Lake Odessa, MI. - Carnival Of Chaos
8/21 Rockford, IL - Bar 3
8/23 Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar
8/24 Cleveland, OH. - Peabody's
8/25 Syracuse, NY. - Lost Horizon
8/26 Clifton Park, NY. - Northern Lights
8/27 Allentown, PA. - Crocodile Rock
8/28 Clifton, NJ. - Dingbatz
8/30 New York, NY. - Highline Ballroom
8/31 Springfield, VA. - Jaxx
9/1 Fayetteville, NC - The Rock Shop
9/2 Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans
9/3 Spartanburg, SC. - Ground Zero
9/4 Atlanta, GA. - Masquerade
9/6 New Orleans, LA. - The Hangar
9/7 Houston, TX. - Scout Bar
9/8 San Antonio, TX. - Backstage Live
9/9 Dallas, TX. - Trees
9/10 Lubbock, TX. - Jake's
9/12 Farmington, NM. - Top Deck
9/13 Tempe, AZ. - Clubhouse
9/14 Los Angeles, CA. - The Whisky
9/15 Anaheim, CA. - Chain Reaction
9/16 Santa Clara, CA. - Avalon
9/17 Orangevale, CA. - Boardwalk
9/20 Colorado Springs, CO. - Black Sheep
9/21 Denver, CO. - Marquis Theater
9/23 Fargo, ND - The Nestor Tavern
9/24 St. Cloud, MN - Red Carpet

Dark Tranquillity Release "Iridium" Music Video

Swedish death metal rockers Dark Tranquillity has released the music video for their new single "Iridium", taken from their 9th studio album "We Are The Void".

"We Are The Void" was released in North America on March 9, 2010 via Century Media Records.

(Dark Tranquillity - Iridium)

Hyper Touch Guitar

OK, I just had to post this one up.  This is a brand new concept, explained best by the designer, Massimo Battaglia:

"A new way of thinking electric guitar making it fully customizable and adaptable to musician needs.  No more strings, but a multi-touch screen that allows infinite possibilities of expression through the perfect instrument customization."

"Guitarist will be able to change as the number of strings, the number of frets, tuning, sound effects etc..  The guitar becomes a wireless command center in wich completely manage your music.  The design mantains the iconic shape of the standard electric guitar exalting and improving it.  Some controls (tone, volume and tremolo) are mantained for more rapid and intuitive use." - Battaglia

More photos of the design:

You can see more products by designer Massimo Battaglia at Giving Shape.

More Dates Added to Rockstar Uproar 2011 Tour

The 2011 edition of the Rockstar Uproar Festival has recently added more dates to their summer/fall tour schedule.  Bands to be taking part in this are:



Main Stage:

- Avenged Sevenfold
- Three Days Grace
- Bullet For My Valentine
- Seether
- Escape The Fate

Best Buy Music Gear Stage:

- Sevendust
- Black Tide
- The Art Of Dying
- Hell Or Highwater

Dates are now as follows:

08/26 Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
08/27 Scranton, PA – Toyota Pavilion
08/28 Boston, MA – Comcast Center
08/31 Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live
09/01 Virginia, Beach, VA – Farm Buerau Live At Virginia Beach
09/03 Tampa, FL – 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
09/04 Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
09/05 Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
09/09 Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Centre
09/10 Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
09/11 Hartford, CT – Comcast Theatre
09/14 Toronto, ON – Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
09/16 Pittsburgh, PA – First Niagara Pavilion
09/17 Indianapolis, IN – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
09/18 Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Pavilion
09/20 Milwaukee, WI – Marcus Amphitheater
09/21 Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
09/23 Omaha, NE – WestFair Amphitheater
09/24 Kansas City, MO – Sandstone Amphitheater
09/25 St. Louis, MO – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
09/28 Calgary, AB – The Saddledome
09/29 Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place
10/01 Seattle, WA – White Rivers Amphitheatre
10/02 Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
10/04 West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
10/05 Denver, CO – Comfort Dental Amphitheater
10/07 Albuquerque, NM – Hard Rock Pavilion
10/08 Phoenix, AZ – Ashley Pavilion
10/09 San Diego, CA – Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
10/13 Sacramento, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheatre
10/14 San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheate

Powerman 5000 Set To Release Covers Album

Boston based rockers Powerman 5000 (PM5K) are set to release an entirely covers based album dubbed "Copies, Clones & Replicants" via Cleopatra Records.  The album is set to drop on August 30th, 2011.

01 - 20th Century Boy (T. Rex)
02 - Electric Avenue (Eddy Grant)
03 - Whip It (Devo)
04 - Jump (Van Halen)
05 - Space Oddity (David Bowie)
06 - One Thing Leads To Another (The Fixx)
07 - Candy-O (The Cars)
08 - Devil Inside (INXS)
09 - Pop Muzik (M)
10 - Should I Stay Or Should I Go (The Clash)
11 - We’re Not Gonna Take It (Twisted Sister)
12 - Under The Milky Way (The Church)

(PM5K, 2011)

2Cellos New Video and Debut Album Set for Release

Croatia's 2Cellos have released their self titled debut album on July 19th, 2011 via Sony Masterworks.

Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser have both been an internet sensation (hitting 5,000,000 hits within days) with the debut of their first cover, Michael Jaskson's "Smooth Criminal".  The duo is set to tour with Sir Elton John on his upcoming 2011 European Tour.

The track listing for their album is as follows:

1. Where The Streets Have No Name (U2)
2. Miserlou / Pulp Fiction Theme (DICK DALE)
3. Use Somebody (KINGS OF LEON)
4. Smooth Criminal (MICHAEL JACKSON)
5. Fragile (STING)
6. The Resistance (MUSE)
7. Hurt (TRENT REZNOR/JOHNNY CASH)
8. Welcome To The Jungle (GUNS N' ROSES)
9. Human Nature (MICHAEL JACKSON)
10. Viva La Vida (COLDPLAY)
11. Smells Like Teen Spirit (NIRVANA)
12. With or Without You (U2)

(Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses cover)

(2Cellos Live on Ellen)

You can purchase a copy of their debut CD here at Amazon