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2012-08-31T10:43:00.001-07:00

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Manowar

2012-08-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Manowar is an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980 the group is known for its lyrics based on fantasy (particularly sword and sorcery) and mythological topics (particularly Norse mythology) along with their "loud and bombastic" sound. In an interview for MTV in February 2007, bassist Joey DeMaio lamented that "these days, there's a real lack of big, epic metal that is drenched with crushing guitars and choirs and orchestras... so it's nice to be one of the few bands that's actually doing that."^[1] In 1984 the band was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for delivering the loudest performance, a record which they have since broken on 2 occasions. They also hold the world record for the longest heavy metal concert after playing for 5 hours and 1 minute in Bulgaria in 2008.^[2]^[3]

Although the band has never been a mainstream commercial success in the United States, they maintain a strong cult following there. In contrast, they are extremely popular in the heavy metal scene in Europe, Japan, Australia and South America. Dedicated fans are known and referred to by the band as "Metal Warriors", "Manowarriors", "Immortals" or "Brothers of Metal", and collectively their fans are known as the "Army of Immortals"

Biography

Eric Adams of Manowar, 2002 Bercy Paris live

[edit]Origins (1980–1981)

Auburn based Manowar's history began in 1980 when Joey DeMaio, the future bassist of the band met guitarist Ross the Boss while working as a bass tech and fireworks manager for Black Sabbath on theHeaven and Hell tour.^[4] Ross the Boss, a former member of the hard rock band The Dictators, was the guitar player in Black Sabbath's support band, Shakin' Street. The two bonded over their shared musical interests, became friends and decided to form a band.

At the end of the tour with Black Sabbath, the duo got together to form Manowar.^[5] To complete the roster, they hired singer Eric Adams, a former classmate and friend of DeMaio, while the drums were manned by The Rods' drummer, Carl Canedy. Canedy is also known for producing several heavy metal albums, including Overkill's 1985 full length debut, Feel The Fire.

The newly founded band began to have some small success playing small gigs and performing cover songs in various clubs. A few months after the band's foundation, the members began to compose songs and make initial contacts with record companies, resulting in a demo recording known as Demo 1981. Worn out by the stress of continuous performances, Canedy left the band after the demo's release and was quickly replaced by Donnie Hamzik.^[6]^[7]

First album (1981–1982)

On the strength of their debut demo, Manowar secured a recording contract with label Liberty Records in 1981. The label pressured the band to produce a good number of songs in a short time towards a debut album. The resultant album, Battle Hymns, was released the following year. The legendary actor and director Orson Welles served in the role of narrator on "Dark Avenger".^[8]

Soon after the album's release, Manowar engaged in their first tour. The band played support for hard rocker Ted Nugent, but their collaboration lasted only a few months. Manowar then decided to put together a short tour by themselves and all the arrangements were made in a few weeks by their manager. Despite these setbacks, the band gained domestic fame on this short tour and also began to get their first European fans, particularly in the United Kingdom and in Germany. Stressed from the strain of the continuing performances, Hamzik decided to leave the band at the end of this tour and was replaced by the young and upcoming Scott Columbus.

Into Glory Ride (1983–1988)

By 1983, the band left Liberty Records and struck a deal with Megaforce Records in the US and Music for Nations in Europe —signing the contract in their own blood. The signing was a cover story in the 1983 July/ August issue # 47 of Kerrang!

By the time Manowar returned home, they immediately went into a recording studio to produce what, in the intentions of the group, would have been a simple EP, but came out instead, due to the quantity and quality of the tracks made in that period, as the band's second album, Into Glory Ride. An EP was actually published in 1983 with the title Defender containing, as its main track, the eponymous song, which included more work by Orson Welles. The atmosphere of the album evoked classical heroic fantasy and mythology, and served as a predecessor to viking metal. It contained several innovative features, both in style and sound, and led to a huge increase in the number of fans of the group, particularly in the United Kingdom, where the band planned a long tour that was ultimately canceled. The song "Defender" was later re-recorded and included in the Fighting the World album of 1987.

To apologize for the failure of their UK tour, Manowar decided to dedicate their next album to the United Kingdom. The album, Hail to England, was recorded and mixed in just six days and was released in early 1984. It received great acceptance by public and critics, for its fast and powerful compositions. Its promotional tour, "Spectacle of Might", had a large number of dates in England. The tour saw Manowar initially as support band for Mercyful Fate, but the enthusiasm shown by audiences for the band along the way, soon put the group led by DeMaio in the headline slot.

Galvanized by the response of their audience, Manowar soon returned to work in the recording studio. After leaving Music for Nations, the quartet signed to Ten Records and released Sign of the Hammer a mere ten months after their previous album. The new record presented stark changes in rhythm, with very technical tracks characterized by a slow pace, like the epic "Mountains", and quick ones, as the eponymous "Sign of the Hammer". It was a new sales success that allowed the band to embark on a two-year world tour, which registered a huge number of spectators everywhere. At the end of this long journey, the band took 1986 off.

Following further disagreements with their new label, the group decided to make another contract change to major Atlantic Records in 1987. Via Atlantic, they released Fighting the World, which enjoyed more extensive distribution and increased the band's prominence in the international heavy metal scene. Album art was designed by Ken Kelly, who had drawn Tarzan, Conan the Barbarian and who also worked with acts such as Rainbow and Kiss.^[

Kings of Metal (1988–1992)

In 1988, Manowar released the album Kings of Metal, which is the band's best known work. Songs like "Heart of Steel", "Kings of Metal" and "Hail and Kill" became veritable anthems for fans of the group and are performed regularly in concerts. Kings of Metal is Manowar's highest-selling album worldwide.

Manowar embarked on a world tour, for a period of approximately three years, with stops in almost all European nations. During that tour, Joey DeMaio "fired" Ross the Boss. According to a 2008 interview with the guitarist, "...Joey felt that Manowar would be better without me." ^[11] He was replaced by David Shankle, who was chosen by members of the band after a search among about 150 candidates. Scott Columbus later also decided to leave the band. Columbus himself picked his replacement Kenny Earl Edwards (soon nicknamed Rhino).

New albums, first video and live publications (1992–2002)

A new musical unit after the recent changes, Manowar released The Triumph of Steel in 1992. It gained some success and was particularly famous for the presence of a suite lasting no less than 28 minutes entitled "Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts", inspired by the events of the Iliad and the hero Achilles. After this release, the band went on a world tour for two years. After the expiration of their contract with Atlantic, the band signed with Geffen Records. In 1993, Shankle unexpectedly left the band to form his own group. He was replaced by Karl Logan, a musician met by DeMaio during a motor meeting.^[12] The same year saw the unexpected return of Scott Columbus, who replaced Edwards.

In 1994 Manowar released their first collection, The Hell of Steel, which contained the major successes of the group. In 1996, they released Louder Than Hell, their first new studio album in four years. Despite good sales the album was criticized for its simple style.

Despite such criticisms, Manowar released a new collection, called Anthology, and their first live album, Hell on Wheels, released by BMG International in the guise of a double CD containing all the most popular songs of the group. Not having the time to record a new studio album because of the ongoing promotional tour, Manowar released a second live album, Hell on Stage.

Warriors of the World, Hell On Earth and Magic Circle Music (2002–2005)

Karl Logan

In 2002, six years after the last studio album, Manowar released the Warriors of the World album. Warriors of the World presented a sound somewhat renewed in style, but maintained the usual energy and power. The most famous tracks from the album became "Warriors of the World United", "House of Death" and "Call to Arms", in addition to Puccini's aria "Nessun Dorma", covered in honor of the Italian fans and sung live for the first time in a concert in Milan.

Manowar then began a long world tour, called "Warriors of the World United Tour" that kept them busy and away from a recording studio for a long time. To compensate for the lack of studio albums, the band released several DVDs: in 2002 the video Fire and Blood, in 2003 Hell on Earth Part III and in 2005 Hell on Earth Part IV. These (and all DVDs since the year 2000) were directed by Neil Johnson, and have all been certified Gold in Germany.

In 2003, DeMaio founded his own record label, Magic Circle Music, which became the official home of the band, having been created to fit the needs of Manowar, and other bands of similar genre. Under the label Magic Circle were also released the EP The Sons of Odin with footage taken during the Earthshaker Fest 2005.

Gods of War (2006–2009)

Manowar released Gods of War through Magic Circle Music in 2007. After playing numerous shows in Europe, including a concert that spanned the course of two nights, they worked on a new EP, entitled Thunder in the Sky, which was released in 2009. The EP consisted of two discs: the first playing the regular track list; the second playing the song "Father" in fifteen different languages.

2010–present

On June 1, 2010, Classic Rock magazine published an interview^[13] with drummer Scott Columbus who said he has not worked with the band since April 2008 and has in fact left the band. No official statement from Manowar has been made as yet and their website still includes Columbus on the promotional pictures and current lineup. He also said that statements made in the past, regarding his break in 1990 and 2008 because of an illness and a personal tragedy, were largely untrue and were made without his agreement. Later that year, on October 15th, 2010 Joey DeMaio announced on Facebook that Hamzik was officially a member of Manowar again after a 26 year absence. Scott Columbus died less than a year later on April 4th, 2011 aged 54.^[14] His cause of death is still uncertain.^[15]

Manowar's subsequent release was a re-recording of their 1982 debut album, Battle Hymns. This album was released on 26 November 2010, with the narration of Sir Christopher Lee and formally entitled Battle Hymns MMXI. A special edition of the album featuring 4 live tracks from the first leg of the Battle Hymns Tour was released on July 26th, 2011.

On July 21st 2011 the band announced they will be playing a UK Tour for the first time in 16 years in November they will be playing Battle Hymns in its Entirety

Manowar's new studio album, The Lord of Steel, was released worldwide on June 16, 2012 exclusively on iTunes and on the band's own online store. ^[16] The album sees a reversion from the symphonic elements present on the Gods of War album back to a more straightforward, heavy metal sound. The song 'El Gringo' from the album has also been featured as a part of the soundtrack to the film 'El Gringo', starring action film star Scott Adkins.

Threat Signal

2012-08-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Threat Signal is a Canadian Melodic death metal band hailing from the city of Hamilton. However, different members of the band hail from other parts of the Ontario province. Since the band's formation in 2003, Threat Signal has released three studio albums and have toured with bands such as Mnemic, Soilwork, Epica, and Darkest Hour.

Biography

[edit]Early years

Threat Signal was formed in the late summer of 2003 by cousins Jon and Rich Howard, who then added composer/guitarist Kyle McKnight. The trio then found drummer Adam Matthews in early 2004. Threat Signal posted their song "Rational Eyes" on an international metal chart on GarageBand.com. After a few weeks, the song reached No. 1, and it has received many awards including best guitars, best drums, best male vocals, best production, song of the week, and song of the day.^[1] In August 2004, Eric Papky, Kyle's former guitar teacher, joined the band on bass. Success on GarageBand.com sparked some early record label interest and helped create a following even before the band had ever played live. In August 2005 Marco Bresette replaced Eric Papky on bass guitar.

Nuclear Blast and Under Reprisal

After spending the better part of 2004 and 2005 writing and recording demos, the band traveled to Los Angeles, to record with Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory in September, 2005. In November 2005, the band announced they had signed a recording deal with Nuclear Blast records.^[2] In late 2005 Adam Matthews left the band, and he was replaced by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native George Parfitt.^[3] In July the band took part in Germany's Earthshaker Fest, alongside notable acts asScar Symmetry, Communic, and Arch Enemy.^[4] On August 1, 2006, the band announced that guitarist Rich Howard had left the band to pursue other personal goals, and he was replaced by the band's bassist, Marco Bressette. This left the bass guitar duties vacant,^[5] and in late September Pat Kavanagh was announced as the new bassist.^[6] In October, the band began a North American trek with Soilwork, Mnemic, and Darkest Hour.^[7] The tour ended in November, but the band announced a headlining tour of North America in early 2007 as well.^[8]

New material, touring and line-up changes

In March 2007, Threat Signal began demoing new material,^[9] but was hampered by second departure, this time Marco Bressette's.^[10] The band announced a search for a new guitarist the same day, while guitarist Adam Weber would join the band temporarily to fill in for the remaining tour dates.^[11] Threat Signal was tapped as the opener for the Tour and Loathing trek alongside Protest the Hero, All That Remains, Blessthefall, and The Holly Springs Disaster.^[12] Shortly after this tour, guitarist Kyle McKnight parted ways with Threat Signal in June 2007 due to personal differences with the remaining members of the band. The band's drummer, George Parfitt, also departed later in 2007 to focus on his family life. The remaining members of band, Jon Howard and Pat Kavanagh reformed the band’s line-up with the new additions of drummer Norm Killeen and guitarists Travis Montgomery and Adam Weber.

In 2008 Jon Howard and Pat Kavanagh joined Arkaea alongside ex-Fear Factory members Raymond Herrera on drums and Christian Olde Wolbers (who produced Threat Signal's debut Under Reprisal) on guitar.

Vigilance

Threat Signal's second album Vigilance, which was produced by Howard (who is now the only founding member left in the band) and mixed by Greg Reely, was released on September 8, 2009 in North America and September 11, 2009 in Europe. The album spawned a music video for the track "Severed".^[13] On July 15 the band released a 32 minute "making of" video for the new record, containing footage of the recordings, song writing process and interviews with band members. The album sold around 1,100 copies in its first week of sale in the United States, with the band touring alongside Epica and later Dark Tranquillity to support the album

Second lineup change

In July 2010 it was confirmed that Adam Weber had quit the band.^[14] Pat Kavanagh (bass, vocals) has issued the following statement:

“Adam has decided to leave us. He has some personal things he needs to work out and we wish him all the best. We’re still good friends and there’s plenty more beers that we’ll have together so no worries. I know this sucks to hear for a lot of you and I can list off a boat load of bands that have been through the same s*** we’ve been through. Just know it sucks hard on our side too. On a positive note we have a huge head start on the next record. Even have a few demos already! You’ll be hearing new s*** soon. So we hope to see you on the road with Soilwork, Mutiny Within and Kris Norris soon! Good times will be had by all!”

Ex-Darkest Hour guitarist Kris Norris filled in for Adam's absence

On September 13, 2010, The band posted an online statement that they also parted ways with drummer Norman Killeen. Both Adam and Norman were eventually replaced by drummer Alex Rüdinger and guitarist Chris Feener.

[edit]Threat Signal

The band announced on their Facebook page that the third album will be produced and mixed by "musical mastermind" Zeuss (Chimaira, Hatebreed, All That Remains, The Acacia Strain, Born Of Osiris, Shadows Fall, etc.). They also stated that they have been experimenting with 7 string guitars on this album. The band is quoted saying: "We are headed back to the Under Reprisal days but with bigger balls." The band also stated that it will be a self-titled album.

Threat Signal's self-titled new album "Threat Signal" was released on October 7, 2011 in Europe and on October 11, 2011 in North America. They are currently touring with Children Of Bodom, Eluvieite, and Revocation for 2012

Pennywise

2012-08-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title.

Between their 1991 self-titled debut and 2005's The Fuse, Pennywise had released an album every two years on Epitaph Records, a label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. To date, the band has released ten full-length studio albums (the last being 2012's All or Nothing), one live album, two EPs and one DVD. Although their first two studio albums were critically acclaimed, Pennywise would not experience worldwide commercial success until the 1995 release of their third studio album, About Time, which peaked at number ninety-six on the Billboard 200, and number fifty-five on Australia's ARIA Charts. The band's mainstream success was signified by a growing interest in punk rock during the 1990s, along with fellow California bands NOFX, Rancid, Blink-182, Bad Religion, Green Day, The Offspring and Sublime. By 2007, the band had independently sold over 3 million records worldwide,^[1] making them one of the most successful independent punk acts of all time.

Pennywise's line-up, which remained constant from 1996 to 2009, consisted of Jim Lindberg (vocals), Fletcher Dragge (guitars), Randy Bradbury (bass) and Byron McMackin (drums). They had kept their original line-up together until bassist Jason Thirsk committed suicide in 1996, due to issues with his alcoholism, after which Bradbury joined as his replacement. In August 2009, Lindberg decided to leave the band; he was replaced in February 2010 by Ignite singer Zoli Téglás.^[2] This new lineup recorded their tenth studio album All or Nothing, which was released on May 1, 2012.^[3]

Early years (1988–1992)

Pennywise was formed in 1988 in Hermosa Beach, California, by singer Jim Lindberg, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, drummer Byron McMackin and bassist Jason Thirsk. They released two EPs A Word from the Wise and Wildcard (both 1989). Each of the band members had played in other bands in the Hermosa Beach area and attended Mira Costa High School except for drummer Byron McMackin who attended Redondo Union High School.

The group signed to Epitaph Records in 1990 and released their first album Pennywise (1991). The album quickly circulated throughout the punk community, earning the band some nation-wide recognition. Lyrics in the album endorsed a positive mental attitude, helping promote progressive ideals for Generation X. Lindberg left the band soon after the debut record. Bass player Randy Bradbury joined the lineup as Thirsk took over lead vocal duties. In 1992, The Vandals lead singer Dave Quackenbush took over on vocals for a brief stint. Bradbury left the band and Thirsk returned to bass.

Increasing popularity and Thirsk's death (1993–1996)

Lindberg got married and returned to the group in 1992 in time for their second album Unknown Road released in August 1993, an underground hit that established the band as a force in punk music. While the album did not chart on the Billboard 200, it gained Pennywise supporting slots on national and world tours with bands such as The Offspring (who were also not very well known at the time). It contained 13 tracks and one hidden track, "Slowdown".

By 1995, a number of punk bands, such as Bad Religion, Green Day, The Offspring, Rancid, Sublime, SNFU, NOFX, and Guttermouth had hit the mainstream and Pennywise refused invitations to join several major labels. About Time, Pennywise's third studio album, was released on June 13, 1995. It was their first album to chart on the Billboard 200, ranking 96. It also charted 55 on the Australian Album Chart, and produced one single "Same Old Story". This was also the last album to feature Jason Thirsk playing bass throughout.

In 1996, Pennywise began recording their fourth album. Thirsk left the band in an attempt to conquer his alcoholism. While initially successful, he relapsed and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest on July 29, 1996.

New bassist and continued popularity (1996–2002)

Following Thirsk's death, Bradbury rejoined the band as bassist and recorded their next album, Full Circle (1997). Despite the loss of the band's friend and bassist, the album came out several months after Thirsk's death and was dedicated in his honor. In tribute of Thirsk, the band re-recorded a song from their first album "Bro-Hymn" and renamed it "Bro-Hymn (tribute)". The album artwork of Full Circle resembles the cover art from their first album.

The band's next album Straight Ahead was released in 1999. The album reached 62 on the Billboard Top 200, and 8 on the Australian Albums Chart. The album's only single is "Alien", which reached 36 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. An 18th track was released only in Australia, a cover of the Men at Work song "Down Under."

A live album, Live @ the Key Club was released in 2000. It contained songs from all their previous albums. Land of the Free? was released in 2001 and ranked 67 on th Billboard Top 200 and number 21 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart. The song "Who's On Your Side" was co-written by Brett Gurewitz (also known as Mr. Brett), a guitarist and song writer for Bad Religion.

From the Ashes and The Fuse (2003–2006)

From the Ashes was released on September 9, 2003 (United States), and reached number 54 on the Billboard Top 200, number 4 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and 13 Australian Albums Chart, marking the highest initial charting album in Pennywise's career. The album contained 14 tracks and retained no singles, although the song "Yesterdays" saw regular radio play on some stations.

Home Movies, the band's only video was originally released in 1995 and had been out of print since 1997. Home Movies was re-released on DVD for the first time in 2004. More footage of Pennywise can be seen on the Steve Martin film 45 Revolutions: A Slice of XVI St. Life, XVI St. being the place where Jason and Fletcher hung out in Hermosa Beach.^[4]

Pennywise on the 2007 Warped Tour.

The band's eighth album, The Fuse, was released in Europe on June 27 and in North America on August 9, 2005. The album retained 15 tracks and charted number 36 on the Australian ARIA Album Charts. The band's Australian tour was canceled leading to breakup rumors, which Lindberg denied. Also that year, digitally-remastered versions of the first four studio albums were released.

Around 2006, Pennywise recorded a cover of Sick of It All's "My Life" for the band's 2007 tribute album Our Impact Will Be Felt. Pennywise were one of many bands to contribute to the tribute.

Reason to Believe and split with Lindberg (2007–2009)

The band returned to the studio in 2007 to begin work on their ninth album, Reason to Believe which was released on March 25, 2008. The album did not do well on the Billboard chart, but this was largely because the album was offered as a free download on Myspace, where over400,000 copies were downloaded, making it one of their most successful albums. It peaked at No. 98 in the United States on the The Billboard 200, and No. 46 in Australia on the ARIA Albums Chart. Reason to Believe did retain three singles, "The Western World", "Die For You", and "One reason".

In August 2009, Jim Lindberg announced he was leaving the band.^[5] Lindberg released the following statement:

“

After 20 years, nine albums and thousands of shows around the world, my time in Pennywise has come to an end. Being the singer for this band has been an amazing experience, and along the way we made some of the best fans anyone could ask for. I want to express my deepest thanks to all of you for sticking with us over the years, especially through the passing of Jason years ago. It's your support and encouragement that kept me going this long. There are few things that made me more proud than seeing people at our shows singing our songs. I would also sincerely like to thank everyone who helped us along the way, in every capacity, we never could have done it without you, and I wish everyone in the Pennywise family the best of luck and continued success. Yours truly, Jim.

”

New singer and All or Nothing (2009–present)

Pennywise in 2011 with Lindberg's replacement Zoli Téglás (second from left)

Zoli Téglás, frontman for OC hardcore/punk band Ignite, previously filled in on vocals during the band’s set on the 2009 Smokeout Festival, while Lindberg was filming a documentary based on his book, Punk Rock Dad: No Rules, Just Real Life.^[7]

In September 2009, BYO Records released a compilation entitled "Let Them Know – The Story of Youth Brigade and BYO Records" including Pennywise's cover of "We're Gonna Fight", by 7 Seconds.^[8]This was the final song Jim recorded with Pennywise; he is now in The Black Pacific.

It was announced on February 16, 2010 that Téglás would become Jim's permanent replacement.^[2] In an interview with Zoli, he talked about his joining Pennywise and plans for a brand new Pennywise album. Zoli and the Pennywise gang are already writing a new Pennywise album from scratch with no Jim influence. Ignite will continue on as a band with Zoli. However, the release of their new album was delayed, partly due to commitments with 2010's Warped Tour. Guitarist Fletcher Dragge said in a July 2010 that it would be released around the beginning of 2011.^[9] The album's release date has since been pushed back again. On October 19, 2011, Pennywise announced on their Twitter page that they had begun work on their new album.^[10] On March 7, 2012, the band released the song "All or Nothing" from the album with the same title on KROQ's website.^[3]

Pennywise did a six-date South American tour in December 2010.^[11] After that, they toured Europe in January and February 2011, followed by Australia's Soundwave in February and March and three live dates in Japan in April.^[12]^[13]

Disturbed

2012-08-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Disturbed is an American metal band from Chicago, Illinois. The band formed in 1996 when musicians Dan Donegan, Steve "Fuzz" Kmak, and Mike Wengren hired David Draiman as their singer. Since the band's formation, they have sold over 13 million albums worldwide, making them one of the largest grossing metal/rock bands in recent years.^[1] The band has released five studio albums, four of which have consecutively debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200.^[2] They are only the third band in history to achieve this feat. The band went into an indefinite hiatus in October 2011.

History

[edit]Early years as Brawl (1994–96)

Before vocalist David Draiman joined Disturbed, they were known as Brawl. Brawl's lineup consisted of vocalist Erich Awalt, guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren, and bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak. Before changing their name to "Brawl", however, Donegan mentioned in the band's DVD, Decade of Disturbed, that the name was originally going to be called "Crawl"; they switched it to "Brawl", due to the name already being used by another band. Awalt left the band shortly after the recording of a demo tape; the other three members advertised for a singer. They posted an advertisement in the local music publication in Chicago, Illinois, called the "Illinois Entertainer".^[3] Draiman answered the advertisement after going to twenty other auditions that month.^[3] Guitarist Dan Donegan commented on Draiman: "You know, out of all the singers that we had talked to or auditioned, he [Draiman] was the only singer who was ready to go with originals. And that impressed me, just to attempt that".^[3]

With regard to Draiman being the new singer for the band, Donegan said, "After a minute or two, he just starts banging out these melodies that were huge...I'm playing my guitar and I'm grinning from ear to ear, trying not to give it away that I like this guy, you know, because I don't want to, you know...[say] 'Yeah, we'll give you a call back. We'll, you know, discuss it.' But I was so psyched. Chill up my spine. I'm like, 'There is something here'." As drummer Mike Wengren commented, "We clicked right off the bat."^[3] Draiman then joined the band in 1996 and the band was renamed Disturbed. When asked in an interview why he suggested to name the band Disturbed, Draiman said, "It had been a name I have been contemplating for a band for years. It just seems to symbolize everything we were feeling at the time. The level of conformity that people are forced into was disturbing to us and we were just trying to push the envelope and the name just sorta made sense."

The Sickness (1998–2000)

After renaming the band, Disturbed went on to record two 3-track demo tapes, the first having the demos for "The Game", "Down with the Sickness", and "Meaning of Life", with the second having the demos for "Want", "Stupify", and "Droppin' Plates". The artwork was composed of the band's recently created mascot, The Guy. The band eventually signed with Giant Records. In 2000, the band released its debut album, titled The Sickness, which launched the band into stardom. The album peaked at number twenty-nine on the Billboard 200^[5] and it has sold over four million copies in the United States since its release.^[6] Before joining Marilyn Manson's 2001 European tour, bassist Steve Kmak was unable to play with the band due to a shattered ankle, caused by falling out of a fire escape outside Disturbed's rehearsal hall in Chicago.^[7] He took the fire escape to exit the building while the elevator was being used to move their equipment downstairs. Kmak skipped the European trek of the tour, but he did perform with the band on January 11 and 12, 2001 at Disturbed's show in Chicago.^[7] During the European tour, Marty O'Brien replaced Kmak until he was able to tour again.

Believe (2001–03)

In February 2001, it was announced that the band had covered the song "Midlife Crisis" for a Faith No More tribute album,^[8] however the cover was not used, and would later make an appearance on the compilation album, The Lost Children.^[9] In September 2001, production of their second studio album began. On June 4, 2002, Disturbed released a documentary DVD about the band, titled M.O.L., which showed some of the band's more personal moments in the studio and during tours, as well as featuring several music videos and live performances.^[10] On September 17, 2002, Disturbed released their second studio album, titled Believe, which debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200.^[11] The music video for the first single from the album, titled "Prayer", was pulled from most television stations, due to the similarities it had with the September 11, 2001 attacks.^[12] David Draiman recorded vocals for a song titled "Forsaken", a song written and produced by Jonathan Davis of the band Korn, released on Queen of the Damned.^[13]

In 2003, the band once again participated in the Ozzfest tour and started another one of their own tours, titled Music as a Weapon II. The bands Chevelle, Taproot, and Unloco toured with them.^[14] During the tour, Disturbed debuted an unreleased song, titled "Dehumanized".^[15] After Disturbed finished the Music as a Weapon II tour, Steve Kmak was fired by the band because of "personality differences". He was replaced by John Moyer,^[16]^[17] who is now the current bass player. On the night Moyer became the band's new bass player, Disturbed played live at the House of Blues and performed two new songs, "Hell" and "Monster", both of which are B-side tracks on the band's third studio album, Ten Thousand Fists.

Ten Thousand Fists (2004–06)

Disturbed's third studio album, Ten Thousand Fists, was released on September 20, 2005. The album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200, while also selling around 238,000 copies in the week following its release.^[18] The album was certified platinum, shipping 1,000,000 units, in the United States on January 5, 2006.^[19] The band toured with 10 Years and Ill Niño in support of the album. Disturbed headlined Ozzfest 2006 along with Ozzy Osbourne, System of a Down, Lacuna Coil,DragonForce, Avenged Sevenfold, and Hatebreed.^[20]

In an interview with Launch Radio Networks, Disturbed vocalist David Draiman stated that twenty songs were recorded for the album, but only fourteen made it to the final track listing.^[21] The remaining songs included "Hell", which was included in one of the two "Stricken" singles;^[22] "Monster", which was included as an iTunes pre-order bonus for Ten Thousand Fists,^[23] then later included on the Ten Thousand Fists Tour Edition; "Two Worlds", which was also included on the Tour Edition of Ten Thousand Fists; and "Sickened", which was included in the "Land of Confusion" single.^[24]

Ten Thousand Fists is the first album released by Disturbed to feature guitar solos. The band stated that they felt that guitar solos are a part of music that is absent in a lot of modern music, and they wanted to bring some of that back. Songs like "Stricken", "Overburdened", and "Land of Confusion" all feature guitar solos, as well as many others.

In 2006, a European tour was scheduled but had been moved twice due to Draiman having troubles with severe acid reflux, which affected his voice.^[25] Draiman commented, "I had been taking Prevacid for about four years and my body built up a resistance to it, to the point where it wasn't doing anything anymore...I had a night of drinking in London followed by a full day and night of drinking on a day off in Dublin, because what else is there to do in Ireland but drink? That, coupled with a show where I had monitor problems, and I pretty much trashed my voice."^[26] Later that year, Draiman underwent surgery for a deviated septum which affected his voice.^[26] It was successful, and ever since then, Draiman has limited his drinking on the road.^[27]

Draiman became involved in the peer-to-peer file sharing controversy by publicly speaking out against the RIAA's lawsuits against file sharing individuals, despite the fact his record label is a member of the RIAA. Draiman commented, "This is not rocket science. Instead of spending all this money litigating against kids who are the people they're trying to sell things to in the first place, they have to learn how to effectively use the Internet. For the artists, my ass...I didn't ask them to protect me, and I don't want their protection."^[28] Draiman also told NYRock: "[I'm] Very positive about the internet, Napster. I think it's a tremendous tool for reaching many more people than we ever could without it. When you release music you want it to be heard by people...Nothing is going to do that better than Napster. I can't tell you how many kids have come up to me and said, 'I downloaded a couple of tunes off Napster and I went out and bought the album.'...I don't really make money off of record sales anyway."^[29]

In late 2006, Disturbed headlined another one of their own tours named Music as a Weapon III; the bands Flyleaf, Stone Sour, and Nonpoint toured with them.^[30] Disturbed completed the first leg of their Music as a Weapon III tour in late 2006.^[31]Soon after, Draiman stated that there was not going to be a second leg to the tour and that instead the band was going off the road to start working on their fourth studio album.^[32]

Indestructible (2007–09)

Disturbed at 2008's Mayhem Festival inDallas, Texas.

In July 2007, a new track titled "This Moment" was released on the soundtrack to the film Transformers. Disturbed mixed their fourth studio album, titled Indestructible,^[33] in Los Angeles in late 2007.^[34] In an earlier interview, David Draiman said that they were going to record fifteen songs, but only twelve would be on the album.^[35]

On March 6, 2008, the band released a thirty second sample of a newly re-recorded version of the song "Perfect Insanity" on their MySpace profile. In March 2008, the song was made available for full download on the band's website, which led to the song receiving some minor radio airplay, and the band playing it live in Kuwait during a special Operation MySpace event.^[36]

Indestructible's first single, "Inside the Fire" was made available on digital distribution services for purchase on March 25, 2008. The band also toured in the United States in April and May 2008 with the bands Five Finger Death Punch and Art of Dying.^[37] The music video for "Inside the Fire" was released on May 2, 2008 on the band's official website. Disturbed released their previously free song "Perfect Insanity" on iTunes Store as a second single on May 6, 2008, and the album Indestructible become available for pre-order for the release date on June 3, 2008.

On May 13, 2008, Harmonix, the developers of the video game Rock Band announced they had reached a deal with Disturbed and Best Buy to offer two tracks from Indestructible for play in Rock Band to those who pre-ordered the album from Best Buy's website. On June 3, 2008, Harmonix released three tracks from Indestructible; "Indestructible", "Inside the Fire", and "Perfect Insanity". On May 12, 2009, Harmonix released Stricken and Stupify to the Rock Band music store. Disturbed played their first live online concert on May 29, 2008. The concert was sponsored by Pepsi and Deep Rock Drive.^[38] They performed in Las Vegas.

Indestructible was released in the United States on June 3, 2008 and in Australia on June 7, 2008 and became the band's third consecutive number-one debut on the Billboard 200. A special "Internet Only" limited edition of the album that includes the B-side track "Run", a making-of DVD with instructional videos, wrap-around poster, VIP laminate, access to special Disturbed events, and a special website with exclusive video, rare audio and more was also released.^[39] The band toured in support of the "Mayhem Festival"^[40] alongside Slipknot, DragonForce and Mastodon during summer of 2008.^[41] Disturbed also completed a tour of Australia and New Zealand through August and September 2008.

On September 30, 2008, the band released an iTunes-exclusive live album entitled Live & Indestructible, made up of songs from Deep Rock Drive, as well as the music video for "Indestructible".^[42] The band started a tour of Europe, starting in London during October 2008 and finishing during November 2008 in Helsinki.^[43] In November and December 2008, Disturbed toured in the United States.^[44] The song "Inside the Fire" was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award in the "Best Hard Rock Performance" category. In March 2009, Disturbed released a music video for the single "The Night".

The band began their Music as a Weapon IV tour in March 2009 and it ended in late May. The tour, also dubbed a "festival", featured the bands Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil, and Chimaira on the main stage.^[45] The band released a second cover version of Faith No More's song "Midlife Crisis" on the album Covered, A Revolution in Sound, which also included bands such as Mastodon, The Used, and Avenged Sevenfold. This cover of "Midlife Crisis" was originally recorded for Indestructible, but the band decided not to include it on the album.

Asylum (2010–11)

In an earlier interview, David Draiman briefly talked about the band's fifth studio album, stating that the album will be as dark as their previous album, Indestructible, if not darker.^[46] Draiman also stated that the album is "still identifiably Disturbed, but showing more maturation."^[47] Song-writing for the fifth studio album began in late 2009.^[48] In an earlier interview with Mike Wengren and John Moyer, it was stated that, judging by Draiman's feelings on the last few years of his life, that Disturbed's new album will be aggressive, angry, and "hard-hitting", but will be similar musically to their album Believe. Wengren also said that the new album may be released in the spring or summer of 2010.^[49] Additionally, Draiman has confirmed that a DVD is in the works.^[48] A countdown clock appeared on the band's website, which ended on January 12, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST,^[50] and a trailer for the upcoming DVD, titled Decade of Disturbed, was revealed.

In an interview in July 2009, with FaceCulture, Draiman stated that the upcoming DVD will be "chronicling the past decade of Disturbed's existence. It's meant to show our growth over the course of the decade." He also talked more about the upcoming fifth album: "A couple of [song riffs] that Danny has come up with are really amazing. But they're just little pieces...it's not even in two-three part progression [yet]."^[51]

A few months later on March 23, 2010, the band released a reissue of their debut album, The Sickness, with the B-side tracks "God of the Mind" and "A Welcome Burden", updated artwork, as well as remastering and remixing the track list.^[52] It was also available for the first time in vinyl format.^[53] On February 26, 2010, Harmonix announced a second Disturbed pack for download on the Rock Band music store, containing the 2010 remastered versions of "Voices", "The Game", and "Meaning of Life".^[54]

On February 8, 2010, it was announced that the band had entered the studio in Chicago, Illinois to begin recording their fifth album, tentatively set for a summer 2010 release. Guitarist Dan Donegan stated that the band had written around 15–18 songs.^[55] It was later confirmed that the title of the album is Asylum.^[56] The band released a cover of heavy metal band Judas Priest's song "Living After Midnight" for the Metal Hammer Presents... Tribute to British Steel album.

On April 20, 2010, roughly two months after they entered the studio, Disturbed announced that they had finished recording the album, and were ready to begin mixing the album in Los Angeles, California. As they did with their last albumIndestructible, Disturbed stated that they self-produced Asylum.^[47] The band announced that Asylum would be released on August 31, 2010. On July 9, 2010, the track listing was revealed on the band's official website. Asylum debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200.^[2]

Disturbed headlined the first annual "Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar" tour with Avenged Sevenfold, as well as Stone Sour, Hellyeah and Halestorm, among others in late summer 2010.^[57] Then, in October 2010, it was reported that David Draiman was diagnosed with a "serious throat condition", and the band's U.S. tour had been canceled, as Draiman's healing process could have taken up to four weeks.^[58] Around the end of that year, Disturbed had announced that they would be commencing theMusic as a Weapon V tour in 2011, co-headlining with Korn and guests Sevendust, In This Moment and Stillwell. In January 2011 it was announced that Disturbed would be headlining the Mayhem Festival, along with Godsmack and Megadeth, for the summer of 2011.^[59] February 2011, it was announced that Disturbed would be playing the Download Festival.^[60] Disturbed announced that in May 2011, they will be co-headlining the Rock on the Range Festival in Columbus, Ohio.^[61]

The band was added to the 2011 MTV Musical March Madness tournament.^[62] Defeating former champions Coheed and Cambria,^[63] they advanced to the final four but lost to the eventual champions Green Day by a 0.34 margin.^[64]

On Thursday, April 28, Disturbed announced that their previously unreleased bonus track from Asylum, titled "3", would be available for download on their website. They said that all proceeds made from the download of the song would go towards the Damien Echols Defense Fund, a benefit foundation supporting the release of the West Memphis Three.

Coheed and Cambria

2012-08-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Coheed and Cambria is an American rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore. All of Coheed and Cambria's albums are concept albums that tell a science fiction storyline called The Amory Wars, a story written by lead singer Claudio Sanchez, which has been transcribed into a series of comic books,[4] as well as a full length novel. The band has released five studio albums, three live albums, and several special-edition releases.

History

[edit]Shabütie (1995–2001)

In March 1995, after the split of Claudio Sanchez and Travis Stever's band called Toxic Parents, they formed a band with Nate Kelley called Beautiful Loser. The band featured Stever on vocals and guitar, Sanchez on guitar, Kelley on drums and Jon Carleo on bass. The group was short-lived, breaking up by June 1995 after an argument over gas money.^[5] Stever left the band, and the resulting trio was named Shabütie,^[6] a word taken from African tribe chants that means "naked prey" in the film The Naked Prey.

The band spent nearly a year experimenting with a multitude of different musical styles, including punk rock, indie rock, acoustic rock, funk, and heavy metal. When Carleo left the band in August 1996, Kelley recruited Michael Todd to take his place. Todd, who was primarily a guitarist, picked up the bass specifically for Shabütie.^[6]^[7] As Shabütie, the band wrote dozens of songs and released their first studio demo Plan to Take Over the World in 1999. The band also released The Penelope EP in 1999, shortly after which Stever rejoined the band.

Kelley left the band during a performance in late 1999. Josh Eppard (then the drummer of his brother's, Joey Eppard, band 3) replaced him.^[6]^[7] The band went on to release Delirium Trigger in 2000, still featuring Kelley on the drums, but listing Eppard in the liner notes.^[8]

Starting out (2001–2004)

"The Keywork", a commonly used logo for the band, symbolizes the energy stream between the planets in Coheed and Cambria's fictional universe.

Several songs that appeared on Delirium Trigger were based on a series of science fiction comics written by Claudio Sanchez called The Bag.On.Line Adventures, which was later renamed The Amory Wars. Sanchez's side project originally developed during a 1998 trip to Paris, where the band members decided to rename themselves Coheed and Cambria, named after two of the story's protagonists, and adopted the concept story as a theme that would unify their future albums.^[9]^[10] This side project also created Coheed's official logo, the Keywork, a symbol for the planetary alignment of the Amory Wars universe.^[11]

In February 2002 the band released its first studio album The Second Stage Turbine Blade after signing with Equal Vision Records.^[12] Influenced by the post-hardcore group At The Drive In,^[13] the band's first release also featured a guest appearance from Dr. Know of the hardcore-punk band, Bad Brains, as well as the revised "Delirium Trigger", "33", and "Junesong Provision" from the Delirium Trigger EP. The band also released its first single and music video, "Devil in Jersey City".^[13]^[14] The band eventually played several tour dates in the United States and Japan, as well as a brief stint on the 2002 Vans Warped Tour. In August 2002, Coheed and Cambria started working with manager Blaze James, who would help propel the band to larger stages and a wider fan base.^[10]^[15]

Following extensive touring with groups Breaking Pangaea, Linkin Park, The Used, and Slipknot, in October 2003 the band released its second studio album In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3, also on Equal Vision Records.^[13]^[14] Featuring the singles "A Favor House Atlantic" and "Blood Red Summer" and corresponding videos which received airtime on MTV, the band supplemented the release by touring with various artists such as Thursday, Thrice, AFI, andRainer Maria. Coheed and Cambria also made its second appearance on the Warped Tour and performed additional European shows.^[14] The album peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard charts and was certified Gold by the RIAA.^[16]^[17]

The band also supported the release by filming an August 2004 concert at New Jersey's Starland Ballroom. The performance was converted into the band's first live DVD, Live at the Starland Ballroom, which was released in March 2005.

The success of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 attracted the attention of the record label Columbia Records,^[12] with whom they signed a multi-album contract.^[18]^[19] The band stopped touring to record their third studio album and first major-label release Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness in early 2005 for a September 2005 release.

Their most commercially successful album to date, Good Apollo Volume One has sold almost 1 million copies and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard charts.^[20]^[21] The album represented a departure from their previous melodic post-hardcore influenced rock toward a progressive rock sound. The single "Welcome Home" was described by John A. Hanson as "a heavily Led Zeppelin-influenced metal tune".^[22] The band supported the album with American and European tours accompanied by The Blood Brothers, Circa Survive, Dredg, Head Automatica, and Avenged Sevenfold, tours culminating in the release of the exclusive iTunes EP Kerrang!/XFM UK Acoustic Sessions and their second live DVD The Last Supper: Live at Hammerstein Ballroom.^[23]

Departures and No World for Tomorrow (2006–2009)

Claudio Sanchez released an album from his side-project The Prize Fighter Inferno in October 2006 titled My Brother's Blood Machine. Like Coheed and Cambria's albums, it was a concept album, related to Coheed and Cambria via a character that appears in both stories: Jesse, "The Prize Fighter Inferno". The album was intended to be a prequel to the Coheed and Cambria albums.^[24] Claudio says "when we were called Shabütie, the initial idea for Coheed and Cambria was to be an acoustic/electronic side project. So I guess The Prize Fighter Inferno is kind of the original idea for Coheed and Cambria."^[25]

In early November 2006, Josh Eppard and Michael Todd left the band for personal reasons, forcing Matt Williams and the band's drum technician, Michael Petrak, to fill out temporarily the band's rhythm section for a handful of shows.^[26] In April 2007, bassist Michael Todd rejoined Coheed and Cambria, and the band entered the Los Angeles-based studio with new producer Nick Raskulinecz. The following June Chris Pennie, formerly of the Dillinger Escape Plan, joined Coheed and Cambria as its drummer, but due to contractual restrictions with his previous record label, Pennie did not appear on the band's fourth release.^[2] Instead, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins recorded the drums, making use of several ideas Pennie had previously written in correspondence with Sanchez.^[2]

The band's fourth studio album, and second release with Columbia Records, Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume Two: No World for Tomorrow, was released in October 2007, debuting at number 6 on the Billboard charts.^[27] The album's first single, "The Running Free", was released to radio in August 2007. The second single was "Feathers" with a video starring Rena Riffel.^[28] The band has continued touring, headlining portions of the 2007 Warped Tour,^[29] a tour supported by Clutch andThe Fall of Troy, and opened for Linkin Park's 25-city U.S. tour, which forced the cancellation of Coheed and Cambria's performances on Australia's Soundwave Festival.^[30]^[31] In addition to the return of Todd on bass and new drummer Pennie, the band also recruited a touring keyboardist and backup vocalists for its live performances.^[32]

In November 2007, their song "Welcome Home" was included as a playable track in the video game Rock Band,^[33] and a cover of their song "Ten Speed (of God's Blood & Burial)" was later made available as a download for Rock Band. In 2009 two more songs were made available for download, "The Running Free" and "A Favor House Atlantic", for the video game Rock Band,^[34] later joined in 2010 by the songs "Guns of Summer", "Here We Are Juggernaut" and "The Broken".^[35]

The band prepared a four-month world tour beginning in January 2008.^[36] They later headlined at The Bamboozle 2008 music festival.^[37]

The band headlined the 2008 Kerrang! Tour in the U.K., where the band performed and recorded a cover of "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden, which is featured on Kerrang!'s Iron Maiden tribute album, Maiden Heaven, that came with the July 16 issue.^[38] They were nominated for Best International Band and Best Music Video (for Feathers) in the 2008 Kerrang! Awards.^[39]

In October and November 2008, the band played Neverender, a four-night concert series in which the band played one album per night. The event was held in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and in London in early December.^[40] Neverender: Children of The Fence Edition, a CD/DVD box set of their Neverender performance, was released on March 24, 2009.^[41]

In 2009 the song "Welcome Home" was also used in the trailer for the animated movie 9.^[42]

Year of the Black Rainbow (2009–2011)

Coheed and Cambria toured through most of early 2009. Between January and March, they toured with Slipknot and Trivium on the Slipknot-headlined All Hope Is Gone tour. In August 2009, Coheed and Cambria toured in support of Heaven & Hell on their tour in support of The Devil You Know.^[43] On September 16, 2009, they performed at the Puyallup Fair alongside Brand New and Jaguar Love. In October they performed at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas.^[44] They also performed at the Wacken Open Air festival, at the UK leg of the Sonisphere Festival tour,^[45] and at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.^[46]

Coheed and Cambria finished recording their fifth studio album Year of the Black Rainbow in 2009. It is a prequel to their conceptual story, having events that take place before The Second Stage Turbine Blade.^[47] A novel was released to accompany the album co-written by Sanchez and Peter David.^[48] The album was released on April 13, 2010 in both a standard, iTunes special, and deluxe edition (with the deluxe edition including the "Year of the Black Rainbow" novel and a special Year of the Black Rainbow "Black Card" that provides the holder early access to some Coheed shows.)

"The Broken", "Guns of Summer" and "Here We Are Juggernaut" were released on the Rock Band music store on April 20, 2010.^[49]

Sanchez recently stated that with the Coheed and Cambria saga completely chronicled on the group's first five albums, he has been contemplating the direction of future releases. "I've thought of telling stories of the future and stories of the past, maybe getting involved more in the story of Cyrus Amory (sic – Sirius Amory in the stories), the fellow who figured out the value of the Keywork," he said. "Or even stories that kind of parallel the one that we’re telling. It’s kind of up in the air. I’ve started writing music for that next record, and I'm kind of hoping that maybe in doing that it's going to tell me which one to do.”^[50]

On July 10, 2011, bassist Michael Todd was arrested and taken into police custody in Attleboro, Massachusetts on charges of armed robbery.^[51] Wes Styles acted as a temporary replacement for the remaining dates.^[52] On August 4, 2011 Todd and the band parted ways by mutual decision.^[53]^[54]

The band recorded a cover of the ZZ Top song, "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers", for the tribute album A Tribute from Friends^[55] and new song "Deranged" was released on the soundtrack for the video game Batman: Arkham City on October 18, 2011.^[56]

DRAGONFORCE

2012-08-23T07:54:00.005-07:00

DragonForce is an English power metal band from London. Formed in 1999, the group is known for its long and fast guitar solos, fantasy-based lyrics, and electronic sounds in their music to add to theirretro video game-influenced sound. Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman are the only two remaining founding members in the group since ZP Theart's departure. Marc Hudson was announced as Theart's replacement in March 2011.^[1] A new studio album, The Power Within, was released on 15 April 2012.

Formation

DragonForce was founded in 1999 by guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman under the name of DragonHeart. The two later found singer ZP Theart through an advert,^[2] and soon after acquired drummer Matej Setinc, bassist Steve Scott and keyboardist Steve Williams. Totman and Li had a former musical ensemble experience in the band Demoniac. DragonHeart then released a demo, toured with Halford,Stratovarius and headlined their own shows under that name. The band later found that another power metal band with this same name already existed and renamed to DragonForce in 2002.

Drummer Matej Setinc left the band in December 1999 to continue his studies in Slovenia, he was replaced by Didier Almouzni. The band parted ways with Steve Williams in early 2000, and Steve Scott in November 2000. Williams later rejoined and left once again in December 2000, days ahead of the band's tour with Halford and Stratovarius. Steve Scott went on to join Shadowkeep, then Power Quest.

Bassist Diccon Harper joined the band in November 2000 with keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov joining in February 2001 to complete the lineup for recording their first album.

Harper performed on DragonForce's debut album, Valley of the Damned in its completion, but left the band in 2002 because of a tendon problem that required surgery.^[3]

Valley of the Damned (2000–2003)

Main article: Valley of the Damned

DragonForce recorded their first demo in 2000. It was an independent release, however it was enough to make them one of the most popular independent power metal bands in the UK at that time. Their song "Valley of the Damned" was released as their first single shortly after they changed their name permanently to DragonForce. A promotional video featuring live footage from their tour around Europe was released along with the song. The song was also a huge success on MP3.com where it charted at No. 1 for 2 weeks as the most downloaded song. Shortly after the demo was released keyboardist Steve Williams and bassist Steve Scott both left the band and were replaced with Ukrainian born Vadim Pruzhanov on keyboard and British born Diccon Harper on bass. Steve Williams later went on to form power metal band Power Quest.

In 2003, the band signed to Noise Records and began recording their debut full-length album, Valley of the Damned. The title track, re-released in promotion of the album, it is one of the most known DragonForce songs to date and is a staple of their live performance to this day. The band's tour for Valley of the Damned lasted until 2004, with the tour ending in Tokyo, Japan.

Sonic Firestorm (2004–2005)

Main article: Sonic Firestorm

The band's follow-up album, Sonic Firestorm, proved to be even more successful with the lead single "Fury of the Storm". Sonic Firestorm was the first DragonForce album featuring Adrian Lambert on bass and Dave Mackintosh on drums. When Mackintosh entered the band in 2004, they began referring to their style of music as "extreme power metal" due to his fast blastbeats and double bass rhythms. It was around this time that the band began becoming popular internationally and adopted nicknames such as "Bon Jovi on speed" and "Journey meets Slayer."

The tour was much longer than the band's recent tour for "Valley of the Damned" and featured many more headline shows than the previous. The band toured with many well-known metal bands such as W.A.S.P. and Iron Maiden. On the album they also added a video commentary to talk about Sonic Firestorm.

Inhuman Rampage (2006–2007)

Main article: Inhuman Rampage

DragonForce underwent various lineup changes before settling with the six current members. The band was introduced to the mainstream with their third album Inhuman Rampage, released in 2006 after signing with Roadrunner Records in UK, USA, Canada, France and Australia. The song "Through the Fire and Flames" is one of their most famous songs and is featured on the games Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits Brutal Legend and as downloadable content for theRock Band franchise. Lindsay Dawson of Herman Li and Sam Totman's former band, Demoniac, appeared as backup vocalist for this album. Before the release of the album, bassist, Adrian Lambert, left the group to raise his newborn son in November 2005. He was replaced with Frédéric Leclercq for the remaining of the Sonic Firestorm Tour. Frederic later became an official member of the band in January 2006. He was also featured in the band's music video for their second single off Inhuman Rampage, Operation Ground and Pound. The 'Through the Fire and Flames' single reached gold disc status in USA and Canada.

Ultra Beatdown (2007–2008)

Main article: Ultra Beatdown

The band toured with Disturbed and Slipknot throughout the summer of 2008 on the Rockstar Energy Metal Mayhem Festival. The band returned in the Fall with the release of their 4th studio album, Ultra Beatdown. The first track and first single, "Heroes of Our Time", was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance on 3 December 2008, losing out to Metallica with their song "My Apocalypse".^[4] A short version of "Heroes Of Our Time" is also featured in the video gamesSkate 2^[5] and the full version in NHL 10.^[6]

On 22 January 2009, the music video for their song "The Last Journey Home" was released to the Xbox Live Community a week before it was released online.^[7]

DragonForce carried out the Ultra Beatdown tour in Latin America, North America and Europe. They were supposed to play in Latin America in May 2009,^[8] but the tour was postponed to late 2009 due to the swine flu outbreak.^[9] They performed at the Two Days a Week Festival in Weisen, Austria on 4 September.^[9] Then, they performed in several cities of Canada and United States from 15 September to 11 October, with special guests Sonata Arctica and Taking Dawn.^[9] The next tour was in Germany, from 16 to 30 October, followed by a single live performance in Luxembourg on 31 October.^[9] Then, they went to Latin America to perform in Curitiba, Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Mexico City, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Bogotá from 6 to 14 November.^[9] The final part of the tour was carried entirely in the United Kingdom, from 19 November to 12 December^[9]

Departure of ZP Theart (2010)

Herman Li stated that DragonForce would stop touring in December, spend time at home for Christmas, and then will begin writing and recording a new studio album scheduled to be released in 2011.^{[dated info]}^[10]

On 22 February 2010, the band re-released their first two albums, Valley of the Damned and Sonic Firestorm. Valley of the Damned included newly remixed and remastered tracks while both albums included bonus tracks, updated packaging and DVDs featuring live footage, commentary, and more. Both albums were also released in a box set which featured a T-shirt, a card of guitar picks, and an inflatable guitar.

On 8 March 2010, it was announced via Roadrunner that DragonForce had parted ways with vocalist ZP Theart and would now be seeking a new frontman.^[11] Herman Li stated:

“

It is with great regret that DragonForce announce a parting of the ways with singer ZP Theart. This is due to insurmountable differences of musical opinion but the rest of the band sincerely wishes ZP great success with his future projects.

While the creative core members have begun writing the fifth album, they have also started a worldwide search for a new vocalist. We are looking for a powerful, melodic singer to write a new chapter of DragonForce with us.

”

This story was removed the same day, but officially confirmed by the band a day later in a press statement that also contained a link to request an audition.^[12]

August Burns Red

2012-08-23T07:50:00.002-07:00

August Burns Red

August Burns Red is an American metalcore band, from Manheim, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2003, the group began their first performances while a majority of the members were attending their senior year of high school, and soon began playing shows around Lancaster, before being signed to CI Records, and afterward, Solid State Records. The group is primarily known for their heavy breakdowns and odd-meter riffs. They cite Between the Buried and Me, Misery Signals and Hopesfall as their main influences.

History

[edit]Formation and Thrill Seeker (2003–2006)

August Burns Red was founded in March 2003 when all the members were attending high school.^[1] The original practice sessions of the band began in drummer, Matt Greiner's old egg house and basement on the Greiner family's farmland. After playing many local shows within Lancaster, they recorded their first EP, titled Looks Fragile After All with label CI Records in 2004.^[2]

Vocalist Jon Hershey eventually quit the band during the same year, which led to Josh McManness to take on the position as lead singer,^[3] and after several months of playing with McManness, August Burns Red signed to Solid State Records in 2005.^[4] Hershey would later go on to form post-rock band Bells.^[5]^{[better source needed]}^[6]^{[better source needed]} August Burns Red released Thrill Seeker, their first full-length album, on November 8, 2005. In 2006, drummer Matt Greiner was endorsed by Truth Custom Drums following the release of the album

Messengers (2006–2009)

Vocalist Jake Luhrs joined the band in 2006. He is the band's third and current lead vocalist.

McManness departed from the band in 2006, exhausted by the band's constant touring. He was replaced with Columbia, SC resident, Jake Luhrs during the same year. Bassist Jordan Tuscan also left the band in 2006 for similar reasons as McManness. He was replaced by bassist Dustin Davidson, a friend of the band. The band's second album, Messengers, was released on June 19, 2007. Marking the debut for Luhrs fronting the group, it managed to become the band's breakthrough album, reaching number 81 on the Billboard 200.^[7] The album has sold a total of 108,000 copies as of May 2011.

Throughout 2008, August Burns Red toured with several acts across North America and Europe to promote Messengers. From April to May they toured with As I Lay Dying and Misery Signals across the United States and Canada.^[8] In September and October of that same year, they headlined a tour with A Skylit Drive, Sky Eats Airplane, Greeley Estates, and This or the Apocalypse in the United States.^[9] The band also visited Europe for a month-long headlining tour in November, playing in Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, The United Kingdom, Republic Of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and France.

After this series of tours, the band recorded two covers of popular songs. They recorded an instrumental version of the classic song, "Carol of the Bells" for the X Christmas compilation album, which was featured in trailers for the film, The Spirit, released Christmas Day 2008. They also recorded a cover of "...Baby One More Time" by pop singer Britney Spears for the Punk Goes Pop 2 compilation album, released in March 2009.

On February 24, 2009, the band released an EP, entitled Lost Messengers: The Outtakes. It contains material that is related or was decided not to be included in the final, mastered version of Messengers.^[10] August Burns Reds' first trip to theMiddle East took place on March 6, 2009 with the band playing at the Dubai Desert Rock Festival. The band's last tour before their next album release took place in the United States, where they toured with metalcore band All That Remainsthroughout April and May.^[11]

Black Veil Brides

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is an American rock band originally formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, but the band was reformed in 2009 in Hollywood, California. The group is composed of Andy Biersack (lead vocals), Ashley Purdy (bass, backing vocals), Jake Pitts (lead guitar), Jinxx (rhythm guitar, violin) and Christian "CC" Coma (drums). Black Veil Brides are known for their distinct appearance (black makeup and body paint, tight black studded clothing, and long hair), which was inspired by Kiss' and Mötley Crüe's stage persona, as well as numerous other 1980s glam metal acts

In September 2009, using the current name, Black Veil Brides signed with the independent label StandBy Records.^[6] The writing process for a tour and a record began immediately. In December 2009, the band embarked on their first US tour entitled "On Leather Wings".

The group's debut album We Stitch These Wounds was released July 13, 2010 and sold over 10,000 copies in its first week, ranking at No. 36 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and No. 1 on theBillboard Independent chart.^[7]^[8] In late 2010, Black Veil Brides went on tour with bands The Birthday Massacre, Dommin and Aural Vampire.^[9]^[10]

Black Veil Brides first came to the attention of Lava Records president Jason Flom when the chief music officer at Hot Topic, John Kirkpatrick, told him about the incredible buzz that building around the band, with their t-shirt attracting the second biggest sales in the country at that point.^[11] What was even more impressive was that they had built their fanatical following in a "DIY" fashion, such as in making their own self-funded videos.^[11] When Flom then heard their music and met the group, he decided that they were exactly what he'd been looking for, later commenting to HitQuarters:

“

They are bringing back what has been missing for over a decade: they are rock heroes that are truly larger than life. The make-up, the hair, the leather, and most importantly they have great songs, great playing …^[11]

”

Flom then made a deal with Neil Sheehan, founder of StandBy Records, to sign the band over to Lava.

Events, Set the World on Fire, and EP (2011)

Black Veil Brides members Jake Pitts (left) and CC (right) at a signing table delivering autographs for their fans.

Tours, Festivals, and Awards

Black Veil Brides supported the Murderdolls in the "God Save The Scream Tour" 2011 and also toured America on the AP Tour from March 18 to May 6.^[12] The band continued on to the Vans Warped Tour, which began June 24, 2011 and ended August 14 of the same year.^[13] However, on June 18, Andy fell from a pillar while performing and broke his ribs, which caused them to miss the first week of the tour.^[14] The band also performed at festivals such as the Download Festival in the UK^[15] and Bamboozle.^[16] The band also played at the Rock am Ring festival at the Nürburgring motorsport complex in Nürburg, Germany in June 2011.^[17] On April 20, it was revealed the band had won Revolver Magazine's Golden Gods Award for Best New Artist, the title for Kerrang!'s Best Newcomers, and were nominated for the title of Kerrang!'s Best International Newcomer.

Set the World on Fire

Main article: Set the World on Fire (Black Veil Brides album)

The band's second studio album, Set the World on Fire was released on June 14, 2011 through Lava Music/Universal Republic Records. The cover art was released in April.^[18]^[19] The title track from Set the World on Fire was planned for use in the movie Scream 4. Upon learning that the song was not going to be used in the film, the band released a statement and an extended song preview.^[20] It was later announced on May 23 that the song was to be featured in the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon.^[21]

A clip of the album's lead single, "Fallen Angels", was released in late April.^[22] It was then fully released in the UK on May 1. The US release was pushed from May 3^[23] to May 10 to be given for free with the pre-order of Set the World on Fire oniTunes. Because "Fallen Angels" was delayed, the band released a preview of the song "Youth and Whisky" on May 3.^[24] The album's next single was The Legacy, with a music video filmed by Patrick Fogarty that premiered on YouTube on June 6, 2011. Their third single from Set the World on Fire was "Rebel Love Song", which also had a music video directed by Patrick Fogarty. The video was released on YouTube on October 19. On October 25, the band announced that they had to cancel tour dates for "certain reasons". It was later announced that it was because Andy had broken his nose on the drum set rising platform during a performance.^[25] Despite the injury, which was bad enough for people to notice that he was having difficulty breathing and talking, he was determined to finish the show. After a visit from the doctor, he was told to sit back for a few weeks to rest and heal. They announced that they would return to tour for the beginning of the Buried Alive Tour with Avenged Sevenfold, Asking Alexandria, and Hollywood Undead.^[26]

Anthrax Who are they

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New York thrash legends Anthrax have had a crazy career. The band hit the big time in the mid-1980s with a few successful albums. In the early 90s, vocalist Joey Belladonna suddenly left the band, and John Bush came was his replacement. From there, the '90s were a rough period for the band, with line-up changes and label problems making the band fade into obscurity. Anthrax was one of the few thrash bands to have a sense of humor, along with those trademark baggy shorts, and this top five list represents the high points in Anthrax’s catalog of material.

1. Among The Living' (1987)

With Among The Living, Anthrax finally put it all together, and released a wicked album. There are several classic thrash tracks on here, including the title track, “Caught In A Mosh,” and “Indians.” Scott Ian is one of the best rhythm guitarists in the business, and the team of Frank Bello and Charlie Benante is top-notch.
Get there album Here

2. 'Persistence Of Time' (1990)

Anthrax had always been known to showcase the lighter side of thrash, but with their fifth album, and the last one with vocalist Joey Belladonna, Anthrax put across a darker image of themselves. Most of there humorous lyrical content went Bye bye, replaced with hatred and sheer contempt for humanity. While the Joe Jackson cover “Got The Time” is the most recognizable song on here, Persistence Of Time is a strong collection of mid-paced material (“Belly Of The Beast,” “Keep It In The Family”) and unrelenting chaos (“Gridlock,” “Discharge”). All of which are great songs! Get there album Here

3. 'Spreading The Disease' (1985)

Anthrax was a force to be reckoned with, Spreading The Disease, which was the recording debut of Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello. Belladonna was a new and easily fit into the lead vocalist role. More speed metal-oriented than later releases, the album blows everything away in its path, with “Gung-Ho” “A.I.R,” and “Aftershock” the highlights. Spreading The Disease was also the first album that got them mainstream publicity, most notably in the music video for single “Madhouse.” Get there album Here

4. 'Fistful Of Metal' (1984)

Anthrax’s debut album Fistful Of Metal was not what most thought it would be. However, that doesn’t take away from the material itself, as there are some future classics contained within. “Deathrider,” “Metal Thrashing Mad,” and “Panic” are fan favorites, while “Solders Of Metal” and “Howling Furies” are not well know but will be one day. Even in the early years Anthrax was the band to beat, especially drummer Charlie Benante, who just dominates his kit with like a musicians twice his age. Get there album Here

5. 'Sound Of White Noise' (1993)

A lot of Anthrax fans do not know what to think when it comes to John Bush-era of the band. Some say the band matured as musicians and songwriters, and others find the band’s transformation into a hard rock/grungier sound to be revolting "LOL". 1993’s Sound Of White Noise was the first step towards a more mainstream sound for Anthrax. Unlike the other '90s releases, Sound Of White Noise succeeded in attracting new fans, while keeping the older ones satisfied. The album reached number 7 on the Billboard charts, and several successful singles were released, including “Only” and “Room For One More.” This was also one of the least favorite among long time fans. Get there album Here

http://heavymetal.about.com/od/bestmetalalbumsbyartist/tp/bestanthraxalbums.htm

Music

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