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Jared Leto Loves His Girls, But do the Blondes Wear 30 Seconds to Mars Tee Shirts?

bandmerchandise — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:24:05 CST

While 30 Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto ushered in the new year by partying at Miami's SkyBar at Shore—along with AnnaLynne McCord and Gerard Butler—he was snapped earlier in the day walking on the beach with a mystery blonde and some pals.

Leto, 37, is known to have a penchant for fair-haired females. The Requiem for a Dream actor embarked upon a four-year relationship with Cameron Diaz, from 1998 to 2002.

He was also spotted around New York City in September with a leggy Lydia Hearst.

Witnesses say Leto and his Miami maiden were holding hands at various points, though they seemed to be playing it cool once the paparazzi showed up.

Perhaps Jared's new sunglasses-clad gal pal will be a good friend and tell him that pink and flannel, well...not really such a great combo!

At the End of the Party, Jared Leto Goes Home Alone

Jared Leto hits on ex-girlfriend Scarlett Johansson at Golden Globes party.

Scarlett Johansson ran into ex-boyfriend Jared Leto this week at the Golden Globes after party in the Sunset Tower Hotel, reports MSN Entertainment. A witness told OK! Magazine that the 30 Seconds to Mars rocker “spent most of the evening hitting on Scarlett Johansson, who certainly didn’t seem to mind.”

Johansson and Leto broke up in 2004. Since then, the actress has married fellow actor Ryan Reynolds. Leto, however, is not attached to anyone. According to MSN, he was turned down several times at a pre-Golden Globes party Saturday night. “He went up to girl after girl after girl, put his arm around them and said, ‘Let’s go [bleep],’” a source at the party told the New York Post.

Cameron Diaz, who also dated Leto, was at the Sunset Tower Hotel as well, but apparently Leto wasn’t interested. Diaz did not seem to mind, however, because according OK!, she was too busy talking to 300 star Gerard Butler. Ever wonder if these blonds still wear 30 seconds to Mars t-shirts?

More

30 Seconds to Mars bassist Matt Wachter has left the band in order to spend more time with his family, according to the group. There's no word yet on a replacement. "We love and support him completely and accept his decision with respect and understanding," the band said in a statement. "This is not an end, it is a new beginning." ...

30 Seconds to Mars and the Smashing Pumpkins Tribute Project

The Smashing Pumpkins have been gone for seven years, but they've got a much-anticipated new album called Zeitgeist due in about two months. So what better time to pay tribute to Billy Corgan and company than ... well, right now?

That's the thinking behind an upcoming Pumpkins tribute project, spearheaded by MySpace and featuring acts like Panic! at the Disco, 30 Seconds to Mars, (+44) and the Academy Is ... taking cracks at their favorite SP tracks.

According to a source at MySpace, the project (currently known as, uh, "The MySpace Smashing Pumpkins Tribute Project") will launch on May 14, when each of the participating bands will post a Pumpkins cover on their respective MySpace pages. The songs will then be collected onto a CD, which will be included in newsstand editions of July's Spin magazine (that issue will feature each of the bands talking about the Pumpkins' influence on them).

And who exactly are those bands? Well, early reports linked My Chemical Romance to the project, but according to both MySpace and MCR's management, the band has not contributed a song. MTV News' source at MySpace provided a list of 12 of the participants plus the songs they've chosen to cover. Note: 30 Seconds to Mars haven't announced their song yet — we know of no Pumpkins song called "(track TBD)."

· Panic! at the Disco: "Tonight, Tonight"
· (+44): "I Am One"
· The Academy Is ... : "Mayonaise"
· Deftones: "Siva"
· 30 Seconds to Mars: (track TBD)
· The Bravery: "Rocket"
· Young Love: "1979"
· The New Amsterdams: "Thirty-Three"
· Test Your Reflex: "Ava Adore"
· Ben Kweller: "Today"
· Hawthorne Heights: "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
· Gliss: "Rhinoceros"

Read more of the 30 Seconds to Mars discography and watch my favorite 30 Seconds to Mars video.

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Less Significant Lines Observed by Women at Gig Nevertheless No shortage of AC/DC Merch Projected

bandmerchandise — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:14:49 CST

Female AC/DC fans will be glad to know that Fargodome staff won’t simply say “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” if nature calls during the band’s concert Saturday.

Dome General Manager Rob Sobolik said finding a toilet will be much easier than during last April’s Jon Bon Jovi concert. He said staffers will go with the flow and turn some men’s loos over to the ladies should the situation require it.

“We do have a plan in place,” Sobolik said.

It’s dealing with parking where event-goers might find a challenge, Sobolik said.

He expects Fargodome parking spots to sell out thanks to the snow and cold and AC/DC merch is projected to go through the roof. He said late-arrivers will be directed to the Fargo North High School/Carlson Coliseum lot a few blocks east of the dome. Some parking should also be available on the North Dakota State University campus, he said.

Sobolik is expecting a slightly smaller crowd – roughly 21,000 – for AC/DC than the nearly 25,000 who turned out for Bon Jovi.

He also predicts a more male-dominated demographic for AC/DC. That should mean shorter waits at the women’s restrooms.

Bon Jovi attracts a high percentage of women to his audience, and that led to lines that seemed like a “Highway to Hell” at the available women’s restrooms during the April concert.

Sobolik said the 26 restrooms throughout the dome – 13 for each sex – meet building codes for the size of the venue.

After the bathroom controversy last spring, Sobolik said the dome would consider using portable bathrooms for major concerts. However, because of cold temperatures, Sobolik said the dome won’t put out portable biffys this Saturday.

To speed entry into the dome, Sobolik reminds AC/DC fans with paperless tickets to bring the credit card they purchased the ticket with and a photo identification card. Sobolik urges those fans to use the eastside entrance, where most of the ticket readers and the box office are located.

Sobolik said the parking lot opens at 4:30 p.m., the doors for the concert open at 6:30, and the concert starts at 8.

Original AC/DC Singer DAVE EVANS: New Video Interview Available

Undercover has posted a recent interview with original AC/DC singer Dave Evans. Watch the chat in six parts at this location.

(Note: For parts 2-6, scroll through menu on the right.)

Dave Evans' latest album, "Judgement Day", was released in Australia in July 2008 through MGM. The follow-up to 2003's "Sinner" was recorded in Brisbane, Australia with producer Mark Tinson and features 10 tracks, including a cover of "House of the Rising Sun" (listen to the audio below). The first single is "We Don't Dance to Your Song".

Evans was a member of AC/DC from the band's inception in 1973 until 1974. Following his departure from AC/DC, Dave Evans formed the wild hedonistic rock band RABBIT, Melbourne '80s rock outfit DAVE EVANS AND THUNDER DOWN UNDER, and lastly DAVE EVANS AND HOT COCKEREL. Dave Evans has also toured as a solo act, and in 2004 released his current album, "Sinner", on Germany's Cultural Minority record label. In 2005, Dave Evans toured across Holland, Germany and Switzerland with the renowned southern rock band MOLLY HATCHET.

AC/DC, Flight of the Conchords, Blink-182 and Radiohead

AC/DC fans in Peoria, Illinois rallied this weekend outside the city’s Civic Center, hoping to convince the band to play the arena for the first time in 1983. A local radio station organized the event, and a video and petition from the rally will be sent to AC/DC today. “We’re going to prove to AC/DC that we’re out of our minds,” said DJ Matt Bahan.

Read more of the ac/dc discography and watch my favorite ac/dc video.

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AFI Merch Predicted to Skyrocket after Presidential Inauguration

bandmerchandise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:52:21 CST

Avoid the cold and the crowds in downtown DC--watch the historic inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, broadcast LIVE on the big AFI Silver screen! Planet 13 expects AFI merchandise to get underway more so during and after the Presidential Inauguration.

Dozens of people lined up early Monday to get free tickets to see President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in live on the AFI Silver Theatre's big screens.

Murray Horwitz, AFI's director, says you can get tickets starting at 1 p.m. Monday. Tickets are limited to four per family.

The theatre will have 400 seats available.

AFI will play TV-1's coverage of the opening ceremonies to the beginning of the parade, Horowitz says.

AFI is located at 8633 Colesville Road.

AFI Score First Billboard #1; Ice Cube And Yung Joc Open Big
DJ Khaled, 'Cars' soundtrack also rack up imposing first-week sales

Prior to the release of 2003's Sing the Sorrow, an album that helped shoot AFI from relative obscurity into the musical mainstream, the Northern California hardcore quartet was largely considered an underground act. But with Decemberunderground, the band's seventh studio offering, AFI have proven they're anything but. Following a solid performance during last week's MTV Movie Awards, the androgynous rockers' latest album has helped elevate the band to unfamiliar heights, earning the first Billboard-topping debut of its 15-year career.

Decemberunderground sold more than 182,000 copies during its first week out, ousting the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way from the album-sales throne it held for two weeks. According to SoundScan, the initial tally for AFI's latest nearly doubles the debut of the band's previous effort — Sing the Sorrow debuted at #5 with 96,000 scans more than three years ago. That album has gone on to sell 1.1 million copies.

"It's an amazing feeling to have something that you believe in so strongly, that is so much a part of you, touch so many people," frontman Davey Havok commented in a press release issued late Tuesday. "But it was truly our fans that did this. They have brought us this recognition and we are deeply honored. I am truly elated not just for us but for them as well. This is one for the team."

But the Dixie Chicks didn't go down without putting up a fight. Taking the Long Way slides one spot on the chart to #2, with sales coming in at close to 175,000. And while AFI put up the strongest debut, 25 other fresh releases crack the next Billboard top 200 — with four discs bowing in the top 10.

Opening at #3 is rapper Yung Joc's inaugural LP New Joc City, which put up first-week sales of more than 148,000, besting Ice Cube's latest, Laugh Now, Cry Later, by nearly 4,000 copies. Cube controls the #4 spot, followed at #5 by the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical," with close to 87,000 scans. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Stadium Arcadium is at #6 with 86,000 units sold.

The soundtrack to the box office-busting animated film "Cars," featuring tracks from Sheryl Crow, Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley, debuts in the #7 slot with 68,000 in sales, followed at #8 by chart regulars Rascal Flatts' Me & My Gang with week-10 scans reported at just under 66,000. Rihanna's Girl Like Me climbs two spots to #9, moving more than 51,000 units, followed at #10 by the 21st installment in the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series, which netted another 49,000 in retail sales.

The rest of the chart is spattered with newcomers, including Terror Squad's DJ Khaled and his Listennn. . .The Album, which claims #12 with 44,000 copies sold — just behind Gnarls Barkley's St. Elsewhere, which jumps three spots to #11 with nearly 48,000 scans. Gnarls Barkley's "Star Wars"-inspired performance at the MTV Movie Awards must have been persuasive, as sales of the disc received a 32 percent boost in the televised ceremony's wake.

The double-disc Warped Tour '06 compilation, featuring tracks by Underoath, NOFX, Helmet, Saves the Day and Motion City Soundtrack, among others, opens at #27, selling 30,000 copies during its first week in stores. Koast II Koast, the latest from the Kottonmouth Kings, follows at #39 with 21,000 scans, while Head Automatica's sophomore outing, Popaganda, debuts at #69 with close to 15,000 week-one sales. Zero 7's Garden lays claim to the #94 position after generating sales of around 11,000, while Cheap Trick's Rockford takes the #101 spot with close to 11,000 scans.

Read more of the afi discography and watch my favorite afi video.

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Fan Walks Away with Alkaline Trio Merch - Autographed Guitar for $1,025.00

bandmerchandise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:29:45 CST

How cool was it that a fan walked away with an Alkaline Trio Merch Autographed Guitar, not just signed by this band but others as well all for $1,025. This is a Fender guitar autographed by a bunch of punk rock legends and a few of the punk rock world’s rising stars(see list below). The guitar was autographed at Rock to Roll 2008(a benefit to raise money for UCP Wheels for Humanity) at the Key Club in Los Angeles, CA. All the proceeds from this auction go to benefit Wheels for Humanity, a charity that refurbishes used wheel chairs, takes them to third world countries and fits them for kids who are perminately disabled. Please bid generously to help give some one the gift of mobility!

List of Signers
- all the members of Rise Against
- all the members of Alkaline Trio
- all the members of the Gaslight Anthem
- all the members of Broadway Calls
- Jack Grisham from T.S.O.L
- Keith Morris form the Circle Jerks
- Mike McCulgan from the Street Dogs, formerly the Drop Kick Murphy's
- Joe Sib from Wax, 22 Jacks
- Joey LaRocca from the Briggs
- Jon Pebsworth of Buck-0-Nine
- Dickey Barret from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
- Rick Thorne professional BMX rider
- Arturo Vega designer of all the Ramones merchandise

Rock To Roll Charity Event!
ALKALINE TRIO, THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM, PUNK ROCK KARAOKE AND BROADWAY CALLS SET TO PERFORM AT THE ROCK TO ROLL CHARITY EVENT IN HOLLYWOOD DEC. 14, 2008

The third annual ROCK TO ROLL charity event spearheaded by SideOneDummy Co-Founder Joe Sib is happening this year at The Key Club in West Hollywood, CA on December 14. The event will directly benefit the non-profit organization UCP WHEELS FOR HUMANITY. Headlining the event this year is ALKALINE TRIO. The night will also feature performance s from THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM, BROADWAY CALLS and a set from PUNK ROCK KARAOKE (featuring members of NOFX, Bad Religion, Pennywise & Social Distortion).

Since purchasing a wheelchair would require many years worth of wages - an unimaginable luxury among people who are also struggling to feed their children and provide adequate shelter for their families, UCP WHEELS FOR HUMANITY’s mission is to provide increased self sufficiency, mobility, and education to people with disabilities. Since 1996, over 600 volunteers annually collect, refurbish and ship donated wheelchairs, and have helped over 40,000 children and adults living in the poorest of conditions, in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Ukraine, Mexico, Mongolia, and others.

Last year, the ROCK TO ROLL benefit concert at The Avalon in Hollywood raised $38,000 for UCP WHEELS FOR HUMANITY. The average wheelchair costs $150 to refurbish, which means last year's event directly improved the lives of roughly 253 individuals in need. This year the event has moved to The Key Club in West Hollywood and the goal is to double the fundraising efforts. Tickets are on sale now.

Alkaline Trio is currently on tour supporting Agony and Irony, released this year on Epic Records. The Gaslight Anthem released The ’59 Sound on Side One Dummy Records this year. Broadway Calls continue to support their 2007 self titled album, which was picked up by Adeline Records and reissued in early 2008. Punk Rock Karaoke released their self titled DVD/CD combo through MVD last month, featuring many classic punk songs and guest vocals by some of the biggest names in punk rock.

For More Information on the bands:
www.alkalinetrio.com
www.gaslightanthem.com
www.broadwaycalls.com
www.punkrockkaraoke.com

For the third straight year, legendary artist Brian Ewing will design all of the art work surrounding Rock To Roll 2008. Brian has been a freelance illustrator/designer for various companies, bands, publishers, and eccentric patrons. His past clients include: Star Wars, Hustler, DC Comics, Samsung, Vagrant Records, The New Yorker, Spin, EMI, Vans Warped Tour, Marvel Comics, Taste of Chaos, Guitar World, Atticus Clothing, Dragon Clothing as well as countless bands. For more information on Brian and his work, check out his website: www.brianewing.com.

To volunteer, support, and learn more about UCP Wheels, go to their website at www.ucpwfh.org.

Read more of the alkaline trio discography and watch my favorite alkaline trio video.

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Atreyu: Defenders Of Dreams Live The Curse - part two

bandmerchandise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:14:56 CST

Atreyu Merchandise is down right scary but the metalcore band was named after film hero who screams out in agony.

(Read Atreyu - Part One) Like many songs on The Curse, the cut vividly describes a painful relationship that was anything but monogamous: "Another masquerade in false circumstance/ ... I just wish that I could replace/ All the memories of what makes my blood run cold."

"I was with this girl, and we just started to abuse each other because we couldn't let go," Varkatzas recalled. "You don't realize you're not in love anymore, because love isn't supposed to hurt that bad. So you just have your heart ripped out, and the person who did it doesn't even know what she did was wrong. I just can't understand infidelity. I've never ever cheated on anyone, and I can't understand why anyone would want to be like that with me."

Varkatzas, Saller and Jacobs met in junior high in Orange County, California, and after bonding over a love for Snapcase, Black Flag and Minor Threat, they decided to form their own hardcore band. The group lasted a couple of years, then in high school the guys decided to rethink their direction.

"We wanted to push the boundaries of what a heavy band should be like," Varkatzas said. "A heavy band isn't supposed to have this huge singing part in the middle of the song like we do, but we don't care. And Brandon is such a great singer that it works out great. He's the real talent in the group. I just scream. It's amongst my other numerous task jobs. A little cooking here, a little cleaning there. And I scream."

Varkatzas sometimes screams for vengeance and sometimes out of self-pity, but he doesn't shout blindly. Whether relaying feelings of going insane on "My Sanity on the Funeral Pyre" or being on the verge of suicide in "Five Vicodin Chased With a Shot of Clarity," Varkatzas picks apart his brain to deduce what went wrong, and why and how he can learn from his misery.

"There's a song called 'The Crimson,' and that's about taking a step back and looking at yourself and the decisions you make," he explained. "Sometimes, I've been pretty disappointed about how I've treated people. It makes me disgusted to the point of wanting to make myself better. But where do you begin? Because when you live in sin, it's hard to look at saints. Sometimes you just feel so unworthy you can't change. You just suck. But at least I'm making that effort to recognize the problem, and sometimes that's half the battle."

Read more of the Atreyu discography and watch my favorite Atreyu video.

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Fans Crave for New Blink-182 Merch and Reunion

bandmerchandise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:44:49 CST

Fans are dying to see new Blink-182 Merchandise and we'd love some new material from No Doubt, Rage Against the Machine, White Stripes and other heavyweights.

2008 was a huge year for rock ... and 2009 looks like it could be even bigger. So all this week, we're taking stock of the things guaranteed to rock this year. From the triumphant returns of some of the biggest bands on the planet to a handful of up-and-coming acts that we're expecting big things from in '09, we've got it all covered. This is Rock Week, on MTVNews.com.

It's not like we're complaining. This year is already shaping up to be a pretty solid one, what with new albums expected from U2, Green Day, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Tokio Hotel and Mastodon.

But that doesn't mean we can't pine for even more rock action. And so, I present my biggest wish in 2009 which is:

Blink-182: The boys are talking again, and while Tom, Travis and Mark are all working on their own projects, we know a thaw has happened and the door is open to a possible reunion. We're not asking for much — maybe just a few spot shows leading to a full-fledged naked dance party and a new album. That's all.

Blink-182 Fans Skeptical Of Mark Hoppus' Reunion Talk
Others are upset about +44's demise: 'Wow, I just cried,' one commenter wrote.

Throughout the week, we've been posting segments of our interview with Mark Hoppus. In part one, he spoke about reconnecting with his estranged bandmate, Tom DeLonge, and the possibilities of a full-blown Blink-182 reunion. In part two, he revealed plans for a solo album and said his other band, +44, is pretty much finished.

And while Hoppus has done most of the talking, we've also been hearing plenty from you too. Seems you've had plenty to say — not just about a reunited Blink, but about the end of +44 and the prospects of a Hoppus solo album. So we've decided to collect some of your best comments here.

It seems that pretty much everyone is in agreement that a Blink reunion would be a good thing, but some aren't so positive that it's really a sure thing.

"Tom [DeLonge] has made it very clear that a Blink reunion will not be happening ... in a recent interview from The Electric New Paper, [he said,] 'I can understand if people in the audience want Blink-182 songs ... but I don't think we need to play any of them. [Angels & Airwaves] is already an established band,' " MTV.com user Skalor wrote. "I am very happy to see Tom become friends with Mark and Travis, but please give the Blink talk a rest."

Others maintained that if the money were right, then it would top any longstanding beefs, and a Blink reunion is a near certainty.

"If the money is there — and it will be — they'll tour again. They don't have to get along on an artistic level to tour. In fact, they don't even have to write any new music," MCarpo wrote. "Although it would be nice if they did. Blink's music really evolved over time, and based on their post-Blink bands, Mark and Tom really need to challenge each other. By the way, +44's record was really good. Not sure why Mark didn't do more with those guys."

Oh yeah, and about +44. Judging from the comments we got, perhaps Hoppus should think twice before putting the project to bed and focusing on his solo record.

"This is so sad! +44 was my favorite band. I can't believe it," Alfred44 wrote. "And what about [+44 members] Craig and Shane??? That's unfair. This ruined my day!"

"Wow, I just cried," Theconster17 added.

Still, others are optimistic. After all, any music from Hoppus would be a good thing. And, who knows: With +44 out of the way, anything could happen.

"I don't think a solo album is a good idea, not because it wouldn't be good, but because it would probably take forever to come out. I don't know if he's just not motivated, or if he's just not a prolific songwriter (which is fine, considering that the ones he does write are really good), but three years after +44, he has nothing else ready to go," MCarpo wrote. "Mark wants to dabble in too many areas to focus on music right now. That's cool, I wish him luck. BTW, can't wait to hear the record he produced for New Found Glory."

"That's only so Blink can get back together," Chaser182 added about +44's demise.

What do you think about Hoppus' interview?

Read more of the Blink 182 discography and watch my favorite Blink 182 video.

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Deftones and Team Sleep Works Over Time On Upcoming LP - Part Two

bandmerchandise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 02:23:17 CST

(Read Deftones - Part One) - "You just want people to hear it," Moreno said. "I'm not looking to make a bunch of money from this. It's not like anything that I think is pop-oriented, that, all of a sudden, is going to turn into something gigantic. It's the music I like, and a lot of people who enjoy music like ours will love to hear it. I just want to share it with them, it's as simple as that. And it's also a promotional tool for us. We make our living from playing shows, and being out there touring. We don't make it from record sales, so the EPs are an advertisement for our show."

Along with the EPs, Moreno promised several free videos would be making it onto their site, which all of the band members have been working on over the past few years and new Deftones merch is due to come out soon "The EPs will be a little less live-sounding," he explained. "There were live drums on our last record, but this stuff's more electronic, I'd say. There is still a lot more of the whole initial idea of Team Sleep, which is just down-tempoed, dreamy kind of stuff."

As for the new Deftones album, which they plan to produce themselves, Moreno said they've spent about six weeks writing for it and want to spend the next three coming up with even more material.

"The band's been working really good together and utilizing our time really well," he said. "We have a little more than half an album's worth of material right now — written completely. We plan to have a record's worth of material written before the holidays, and we'll start recording at the beginning of next year.

"The last two records have been a lot more impersonal," Moreno continued. "Once we started using computers, it got super impersonal. Everybody would come in separately and do their parts. We looked back to our sophomore album, where we wrote and recorded it and mixed it in four months, and that's still one of my favorite records we've ever done. We want to work in that way [again], all together in one room, and we just play everything until it's memorized, and then we'll record it live. That's what we did with our first records."

It wasn't until 2000's White Pony that the Deftones discovered ProTools. "That's when it started becoming more separated," he said. "So this is kind of us going back to the easy way of doing things."

Moreno said he won't be contributing guitars to the yet-untitled LP, and he feels that aids the creative process. "[Guitarist] Stephen [Carpenter] has been writing tons of songs, and he's got some really great ideas," Moreno said. "I don't think I'm slowing things down by trying to change everything in the midst of writing it — I am letting them write the music, and I'll take care of the vocals."

The singer said the material the band has come up with so far is "dance-y" and "way uptempo-ish, which is kind of neat."

"[Drummer] Abe [Cunningham] is playing really, really fast, and I like that," Moreno said. "It's way more energetic. Our last couple of records have been more midtempo, which is the stuff I tend to write. But on this record, everything is more snappy."

Read more of the Deftones discography and watch my favorite Deftones video.

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Former Evanescence Comrades Desire Grammy Grandeur

bandmerchandise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:36:17 CST

Former Evanescence member John LeCompt made his way to the Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Sweet Sacrifice," off the band's latest CD The Open Door. LeCompt and Rocky Gray were fired last year, with vocalist Amy Lee continuing with guitarist Terry Balsamo and a few replacement musicians.

It wasn't too long ago that Amy's initial songwriter and bandmate Ben Moody didn't see eye-to-eye and split. He may have started the trend, showing up to get his trophies at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards where Evanescence captured two. Moody talked about his recollection of that move and LeCompt's mindset this year.

Ben Moody On Attending Grammys Despite Evanescence Break

"I didn't - Honestly? - I just thought I didn't give a s--t. I started the band when I was fourteen years old, worked very hard on that record, we were nominated, I went, we won, I took it home and bid her f--kin' adieu. He might be a little more... He's in the same situation, but honestly I can't speak for him."

LeCompt didn't get to enjoy the same feeling as Moody as Evanescence lost out to Foo Fighters. Moody has since gone on to be a very successful songwriter. He has penned songs for Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson, one of which was the monster hit "Because Of You," which many said felt like an Evanescence song.

Evanescence Split With Guitarist, Drummer; Amy Lee Says Band Is 'Alive And Well'

And then there was one. With the recent departure of drummer Rocky Gray and guitarist John LeCompt, Amy Lee is now the only member of Evanescence left who has been in the band since the release of its smash 2003 breakout album, Fallen.

LeCompt was either fired by the band or decided to move on — depending which account you believe — while Gray left of his own accord recently, making them the latest members of the group to fall by the wayside. Original guitarist/ co-founder Ben Moody left in 2003, and bassist William Boyd quit last June after three years in the band.

Though the group's management could not be reached for comment at press time, promising an official statement later in the day on Monday (May 7), Lee posted an undated explanation of the latest lineup changes on the band's official Web site. In the posting, Lee wrote, "Evanescence is alive and well. John and Rocky were in Evanescence for four years and we shared some great times together playing live, but they were ready to move on and so we have parted ways. Evanescence is something I have loved and nurtured since I was 14, and I will continue to protect and fight for it as I always have."

Lee said she and guitarist Terry Balsamo — who replaced Moody in 2003 — and bassist Tim McCord — the former Revolution Smile guitarist who replaced Boyd last summer — are "very excited to play live with some amazing new musicians and we will rock harder than ever."

Lee did not say who would replace the pair, but promised that no dates on the group's current tour will be canceled. The band is scheduled to play the Rock on the Range hard rock festival in Columbus, Ohio, on May 19 and co-headline the Family Values tour this summer.

LeCompt's version of the split was not quite as cheerful as Lee's. According to a post on his MySpace blog, LeCompt said he was informed Friday afternoon that he was being fired from the group during a cell phone call with Lee. "This call wasn't from a friend who appreciated me but from an enemy who was prepared to hurt me and my family. Without any warning or negotiations for my future, I was fired for no good reason," he wrote on his site. "We have not always seen eye to eye on everything, but who does? Our common goal was always the same: To make Evanescence the best rock band it could ever be. I have always given blood, sweat and tears to make that happen but apparently that is not enough. I have now become just another of the people fallen by the wayside on the revolving door of her life."

In his own MySpace blog post from Sunday, Gray said he was not able to speak about the split, due to an alleged gag ordered imposed by Evanescence's management. "Amy Lee's management e-mailed me last night to tell me that, in their view, the contract I signed to record, perform and tour with the group says that I'm not allowed to have any free speech in regard to Evanescence," Gray wrote.

Read more of the Evanescence discography and watch my favorite Evanescence video.

==============
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What Does Fall Out Boy Merch Have in Common with Rihanna & Enrique Iglesias

bandmerchandise — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:20:08 CST

Fall Out Boy Merch is HOT and RIHANNA, ENRIQUE IGLESIAS, FALL OUT BOY and LIFEHOUSE will be showcased in the NFL PEPSI SMASH SUPER BOWL BASH on Thursday, Jan. 29 and Friday, Jan. 30 in Tampa, Florida.

The NFL Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash, which includes two concerts, will take place at the Ford Amphitheatre, which is located in Tampa, Florida, home of Super Bowl XLIII. Both nights will feature celebrity hosts, guest appearances by a few of the NFL’s biggest names and some of the finest musical talents. Doors open each night at 6:00 pm ET.

Tickets for the NFL Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash are on saleat www.Ticketmaster.com. Individual concert tickets are available for $20, $35 and $45.

Rihanna, joined by Fall Out Boy and Lifehouse, will kick off the series on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 pm ET. JERRY O’CONNELL will host the concert. The VH1 Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash show will be broadcast live on VH1 at 9:00 pm ET.

The series continues on Friday, Jan. 30 with the Pepsi Música Super Bowl Fiesta featuring multi Grammy-award Pop star ENRIQUE IGLESIAS and Latin Grammy-award winning BELANOVA. Additional performers to be announced shortly. LETI COO, JESSI LOSADA and KARIM MENDIBURU will host the second night. The concert will be taped to air on TELEMUNDO Saturday, Jan. 31.

Fall Out Boy Say New Video Is Inspired By 'Roger Rabbit'
'That movie is completely overlooked in history ... it's awesome,' Wentz says of the 1988 movie that inspired their 'America's Suitehearts' clip.

Strange inspiration is nothing new for Fall Out Boy. After all, their video for "I Don't Care" drew equally from the worlds of, uh, communism and professional wrestling.

So when it came time to shoot the clip for "America's Suitehearts," they knew exactly where to look for ideas.

"The video lifts a lot not just from old Fellini but, more specifically, '[Who Framed] Roger Rabbit,' " bassist Pete Wentz explained. "That movie is completely overlooked in history, because it's awesome.

"It's mind-blowing that somehow Disney and Warner Bros. are in there — and the characters in a world that is not a Disney or Warner world. But beyond that, the plot is great too," he continued. "I think that the idea is that there is this guy who is out to get all the 'toons, but in the end, he is one. [And] that is part of the narrative of 'America's Suitehearts' too. You have to point the finger back at yourself. When you're throwing people in the goo — you have to realize that you are the person who is scared to get in it."

Totally. And there's plenty of goo in the "Suitehearts" video, swallowing up Paris Hilton look-alikes ... not to mention the band adopting 'toon alter egos (Stump becomes "Dr. Benzedrine," Wentz is "Mr. Sandman"). The whole thing does have a decidedly "Roger Rabbit" quality to it, which means, for once, we absolutely understand what Wentz is talking about. Of course, there's also a darker side to all the animated hijinks.

"We have become a culture that really, really likes to build people up ... and we really do have this standard of morality that's insane, but [at the same time] we want to know what goes on behind closed doors," Wentz said. "We want to shun celebrities and then build them back up. But it's going on in your neighborhood, too. And that's what the song is about. It says that we've created this snowball of culture where we chase Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their 21,000 kids around the world. But the Jolie-Pitts are smart, because they're building their own army so one day they'll just beat us."

Read more of the Fall out Boy discography and watch my favorite Fall out Boy video.

==============
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Good Charlotte Merch and Band Join Forces Fill Blink-182's Void On Next LP

bandmerchandise — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:45:25 CST

'We had a lot of good will built up,' Joel Madden says of Game, Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump and more contributing to Greatest Remixes.

We're probably going to make Joel Madden pretty angry by saying this, but Good Charlotte's new album is gonna sound a whole lot like Blink-182 as Good Charlotte's Merchandise is already reaching that goal.

"I hate when [people ask about Good Charlotte's new album], and we say it sounds like something, and then there's a news piece about what it sounds like, and it sounds completely different," he told MTV News backstage during Sunday's "Total Finale Live." "But we're trying to fill the void. ... Like, I think there's a need for a new Blink-182 album, and they're not working on an album. I'm a huge Blink-182 fan, but I think in general there's a void there for music like that, and in this moment, we're making a record that kind of answers to that void. We'll see, though."

So there you go. Good Charlotte's follow-up to last year's Good Morning Revival will be the most Blink-y thing since Mark, Tom and Travis called it quits (or, excuse us, "went on indefinite hiatus") in 2005. And if it's going to be a Blink record, well, Madden — who became a new father in January — is making it sound like it will be closest to the band's more serious, self-titled farewell album.

"I think we've matured a little bit, and it definitely changes things. You're more mindful of what you're saying, and the songs somehow become more important, because someone that you really love is going to be listening to them," he said. "I don't know what it's going to mean for our music, but it seems like it's changed a little bit."

Of course, there's a fairly good chance all this will change. So while we can't be 100 percent sure how the new GC album will sound, Madden is more than happy to let fans know how it won't sound.

"There's nothing dance-y on the record, though, at all, which is different from our last one," he said.

Madden did say that he and his band are currently in the studio working on the new album, which is tentatively due in the summer. In the meantime, GC are tiding fans over with the November 25 release of Greatest Remixes, a sort-of "greatest hits" package run through the ringer, featuring remixes by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, Metro Station and Junior Sanchez, to name just a few.

"We had a lot of good will built up. Everybody wanted to do it, and we were very lucky to have all these people involved," Madden said. "We wanted to give our fans something to bridge us into adulthood now, where we're working on a record now and taking our time doing it."

"We've learned over the years that we don't have any enemies, and that kind of came back as a good thing. We've made a lot of friends over the years, and in this business, a lot of things happen because of your friends. And they kind of helped us in this instance," Joel's brother Benji chimed in. "There's a song with Game on the record. We've got two other new tracks that no one's heard: a song called 'Anxiety' and a song called 'War.' It's cool. It's something to tide people over until we get the new album out next year. It's really eclectic. Some of it you'll hear DJs spinning it in the clubs."

Then again, Joel is quick to point out that the remix album is about the furthest thing from a traditional Good Charlotte album (remember, no more dance music), so buyer beware. And remember: There's always that Blink-182 album on the horizon.

"It's not an album we could sell to people. If they want to buy it, buy it," he said. "It's a different kind of record. It sounds nothing like us. ... It doesn't sound like Good Charlotte."

Read more of the Good Charlotte discography and watch my favorite Good Charlotte video.

==============
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Black Sabbath Merch and Band - So Influential in Development of Heavy Metal Rock - Part Three

bandmerchandise — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:35:01 CST

(Read More - Black Sabbath Pt 1, Black Sabbath Pt 2, Black Sabbath Pt 3, Black Sabbath Pt 4, Black Sabbath Pt 5) - Black Sabbath's record labels quickly responded with a million-selling double-LP compilation, We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' Roll (December 1975), and the band contemplated a more pronounced change of musical style. This brought about disagreement, with guitarist Iommi wanting to add elements to the sound, including horns, and singer Osbourne resisting any variation in the formula. Technical Ecstasy (October 1976), which adopted some of Iommi's innovations, was another good -- but not great -- seller, and Osbourne's frustration eventually led to his quitting the band in November 1977. He was replaced for some live dates by former Savoy Brown singer Dave Walker, then returned in January 1978. Black Sabbath recorded its eighth album, Never Say Die! (September 1978), the title track becoming a U.K. Top 40 hit before the LP's release and "Hard Road" making the Top 40 afterwards. But the singles did not improve the album's commercial success, which was again modest, and Osbourne left Black Sabbath for a solo career, replaced in June 1979 by former Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio (b. June 10, 1949). (Also during this period, keyboardist Geoff Nichols became a regular part of the band's performing and recording efforts, though he was not officially considered a band member until later.)

The new lineup took its time getting into the recording studio, not releasing its first effort until April 1980 with Heaven and Hell. The result was a commercial resurgence. In the U.S., the album was a million-seller; in Britain, it was a Top Ten hit that threw off two chart singles, "Neon Knights" and "Die Young." (At the same time, the band's former British record label issued a five-year old concert album, Black Sabbath Live at Last, that was quickly withdrawn, though not before making the U.K. Top Five, and reissued "Paranoid" as a single, getting it into the Top 20.) Meanwhile, drummer Bill Ward left Black Sabbath due to ill health and was replaced by Vinnie Appice. The lineup of Iommi, Butler, Dio, and Appice then recorded Mob Rules (November 1981), which was almost as successful as its predecessor: In the U.S., it went gold, and in the U.K. it reached the Top 20 and spawned two chart singles, the title track and "Turn up the Night." Next on the schedule was a concert album, but Iommi and Dio clashed over the mixing of it, and by the time Live Evil appeared in January 1983, Dio had left Black Sabbath, taking Appice with him.

Read more of the Black Sabbath discography and watch my favorite Black Sabbath video.

==============
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Deftones Merchandise Rising As Bands Innovative Music Streams On the Web

bandmerchandise — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:32:17 CST

A remixed version of the Deftone’s song “Hole in the Earth” is streaming at this location. New mixes of Puscifer’s “Lighten up Francis” and Alkaline Trio’s “Over and Out” are also available. The songs are a part of the “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” soundtrack, which is due out today, January 13th.

Deftones merch is expected to rise and set the pace for other band to do the same thing.

Deftones Benefit Concert for Chi Cheng

Diosdado joined DEATH ANGEL on stage for their performance at the benefit concert for DEFTONES bassist Chi Cheng, which was held on November 29 at Fat City in San Francisco, California. According to photographer Alan Ralph, DEATH ANGEL had several musicians handling bass duties during different parts of the show, including Sammy, who was described by Osegueda as "the first white dude to ever play in DEATH ANGEL." Sammy played almost the first half of the set before Steev Esquivel (SKINLAB) took over for one or two songs, followed by a guy named Damien Sisson (from the San Francisco band SCARECROW), who played the rest of the show with the group. TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy joined DEATH ANGEL on stage for a cover of METALLICA's "Leper Messiah" during the concert, which also included performances by WILL HAVEN (with a special guest appearance by original singer Grady Avenell), PHALLUCY (featuring DEFTONES drummer Abe Cunningham, EIGHTFOURSEVEN and DEATH VALLEY HIGH.

Read more of the Deftones discography and watch my favorite Deftones video.

==============
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bandmerchandise Home

bandmerchandise — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:20:36 CDT

I'm Diana Christy and am a writer who reviews bands. Music is my life as I have a wide variety of musical tastes from the Fallout Boys to Slipknot. I’m attending college right now with the goal of becoming a film and record producer someday with my own firm. I enjoy a good musical sound with an interesting story behind the words. My step-father works in the film industry and that is a whole other bio right there.

I enjoy keeping up to speed on the most popular bands and support local bands. If you’re really into music videos, you might want to take a look at the top 10 music videos. Check out the hottest band merchandise, of which none of this would be possible, if it wasn't for them.

I'm looking for the hottest news on the most popular bands. Here is a list of bands that would like to interview:

+44, 18 Visions, 3 Inches of Blood, 30 Seconds To Mars, A Perfect Circle, A Static Lullaby, Ac/Dc, Academy Is, Acceptance, Adicts, Aerosmith, Afi, Against Me, Aiden, Alexisonfire, Alice Cooper, Alice In Chains, Alkaline Trio, All American Rejects, Andrew WK, Angels Airwaves, Anthrax, Anti-Flag, Aquabats, Arctic Monkeys, Armor For Sleep, As I Lay Dying, As Tall As Lions, At The Drive-In, Ataris, Atreyu, Audioslave, Audition, Avenged Sevenfold, Bad Religion, Bettie Page, Beastie Boys, Billy Talent, Black Dahlia Murder, Black Label Society, Black Maria, Black Sabbath, Bled, Bleeding Through, Blink 182, Blondie, Blood Brothers, Brand New, Buck Satan, Buckcherry, Buzzcocks, Caliban, Cannibal Corpse, Chariot, Cheap Trick, Children Of Bodom, Chimaira, Cinderella, Cky, Clash, Clutch, Cobra Starship, Coheed Cambria, Comeback Kid, Converge, Corrosion Of Conformity, Cradle Of Filth, Crossbreed, Cure, Cypress Hill, Damage Plan, Danzig, Darkest Hour, Darkness, Dashboard Confessional, David Bowie, Dead Kennedys, Death By Stereo, Death Cab For Cutie, Deftones, Demon Hunter, Descendents, Devil Driver, Devils Rejects, Dinosaur Jr, Dio, Distillers, Disturbed, Donnas, Doors, Down, Draft, Dragonforce, Dropkick Murphys, Drowning Pool, E-R, Emery, Evanescence, Evergreen Terrace, Exodus, Exploited, Explosion, Faith No More, Fall Out Boy, Fat Wreck Chords, Finch, Finntroll, Flaming Lips, Flogging Molly, Flyleaf, Foo Fighters, Forgive Durden, Frenzal Rhomb, From Autumn To Ashes, From First To Last, Full Blown Chaos, Funny Sayings, Glassjaw, Godsmack, Goldfinger, Good Charlotte, Green Day, Guns N Roses, Gwar, Hate Breed, Haunted, Head Automatica, Heavy Heavy Low Low, Hellyeah, Him, Hit The Lights, Hives, Hoobastank, Horrors, Hot Hot Heat, Houston Calls, I Am Ghost, Iggy The Stooges, In Flames, In This Moment, Incubus, Insane Clown Posse, Interpol, INXS, Iron Maiden, It Dies Today, Jacks Mannequin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Eat World, Job For A Cowboy, Johnny Cash, Joy Division, Judas Priest, Juliette The Licks, Kaiser Chiefs, Killers, Killswitch Engage, King Diamond, Kiss, Kittie, Korn, Kreator, Kurt Cobain, Lacuna Coil, Lagwagon, Lamb Of God, Led Zeppelin, Less Than Jake, Letterkills, Linkin Park, Live, Lost Prophets, Lou Reed, Machine Head, Mae, Marilyn Manson, Mars Volta, Matchbook Romance, Mayday Parade, Mc 5, Megadeth, Mest, Metallica, Millencolin, Ministry, Misfits, Morbid Angel, Most Precious Blood, Motion City Soundtrack, Motley Crue, Motorhead, Mudhoney, Mudvayne, Mushroomhead, Mxpx, My Chemical Romance, My Dying Bride, Necro, New Found Glory, New York Dolls, Nightmare Of You, Nightwish, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, No Doubt, No Use For A Name, Nofx, Norma Jean, Offspring, Ok Go, Opeth, Otep, Ozzy Osbourne, Panic At The Disco, Pantera, Papa Roach, Paramore, Parkway Drive, Peeping Tom, Pearl Jam, Pennywise, Pink Floyd, Pixies, Placebo, Plain White T's, Poison, Poison The Well, Pretenders, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Primus, Queen, Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, Rammstein, Ramones, Rancid, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Reel Big Fish, Remembering Never, Rise Against, Rob Zombie, Rolling Stones, Ryan Adams, S-Z, Saints, Samhain, Saosin, Senses Fail, Sepultura, Sex Pistols, Shadows Fall, She Wants Revenge, Shins, Sick Of It All, Silverchair, Silverstein, Six Feet Under, Skid Row, Slayer, Slipknot, Smashing Pumpkins, Social Distortion, Something Corporate, Sonic Youth, Soulfly, Spitalfield, Staind, Starting Line, Static-X, Steve Vai, Stonesour, Story Of The Year, Strapping Young Lad, Strung Out, Subhumans, Sublime, Suicide Silence, Sum 41, System Of A Down, T Rex, Taking Back Sunday, Tenacious D, Terror, Tesla, Thrice, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, Throwdown, Thursday, Tiger Army, Tool, Transplants, Trivium, Twisted Sister, Underoath, Unearth, Unwritten Law, Used, Velvet Revolver, Walls Of Jericho, Warriors, Wednesday 13, Weezer, Whitesnake, Who, Yellowcard

~ Cheers ~

Diana Christy

Alexis on Fire Nominated for the Ugliest Rock Band Ever

bandmerchandise — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:26:48 CDT

I heard that the Toronto radio station, who created the CASBY awards, nominated Alexis on Fire for the "Ugliest Rock Band Ever", however Alexisonfire lost the title to Sum 41.

My musical buddies keep telling me to get my hands on the new Alexisonfire album, Crisis. I'm so into metal bands and I had one person that told me that if I listened to this group that Alexisonfire would turn out to be one of my favorite bands.

Many people, once that get their hands on the Crisis CD they will find themselves listening to it over and over for at least 100 times, possibly more then that. Watch Out!, was practically near flawless, but this one has a habit of growing on you. It just takes the average person to get use to their musical approach.

The band's history is so interesting.

To read more about the Punk Band, Alexis On Fire just click this link below:

Punk Band, Alexis On Fire

Underoath Dropped Off Warped Tour Puts Bands Future In Considerable Doubt

bandmerchandise — Fri, 09 May 2008 01:01:57 CDT

Since their inception, Florida's Underoath has evolved from a run-of-the-mill Christian metalcore band into a fluid, dynamic, and energized rock group that adeptly blends emotive melody, charged punk rock rhythm, and chunky, engaging bottom end. Underoath formed in 1998 in vocalist Dallas Taylor's bedroom. Within a year, the group -- with guitarist Tim McTague, drummer Aaron Gillespie, and keyboardist Christopher Dudley -- had inked a deal with Alabama's Takehold record label. In July 1999, Underoath released the six-song Act of Depression CD, which sold over 2,000 copies. The five-song Cries of the Past followed a year later, selling over 3,000 copies.

In 2003, Underoath supported The Changing of Times through their first stint on the Vans Warped Tour, but their participation in the tour came to a screeching halt when lead singer Dallas Taylor controversially left the band. Reasons for Dallas leaving the band are explained in Alternative Press [#219]. Taylor was asked to leave Underoath by guitarist Timothy McTague after a disagreement within the band. Taylor is now the lead singer for Southern metalcore outfit Maylene and the Sons of Disaster.

Underoath dropped off the rest of the Warped Tour and the band’s future was in considerable doubt. However, the band then went on a supporting tour with Atreyu that fall with Winter Solstice vocalist Matt Tarpey as the temporary vocalist. Then later in the year, at the CMJ Fest in New York City, the band reappeared with new lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, formerly of This Runs Through.

Read more about Underoath, click here:

Before Hurricane Charlie decimated Florida, Trivium Played The House Of Blues

bandmerchandise — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:55:50 CDT

Before Hurricane Charlie decimated Florida, Trivium Played The House Of Blues
Talent and charisma are key ingredients for any professional musician, but without dedication and perseverance, many bands quickly fade to black. Then there are those like Orlando, Florida band Trivium, who are so determined, their behavior borders on insanity.
The day before Hurricane Charlie decimated Florida, Trivium were playing the House Of Blues in Atlanta. While they knew they were up against their own perfect storm, they decided to not cancel the next night's show in their hometown. "We drove a van with a trailer right through the eye of the hurricane," 18-year-old singer/guitarist Matt Heafy says. "[Drummer] Travis [Smith] drove the whole way and he was like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible or something. He just kept going and we made it for the show."

"We all live for this band," Heafy says, showing his dedication. "We wake up, practice a little bit on our own and then go to band practice and play for hours and hours. That's all we do, and all we want to do for the rest of our lives."

After Ozzfest the band headed back over to the UK for a headlining tour with All That Remains, before playing a series of shows in Japan with Arch Enemy, where their reputation was enhanced and anticipation for their third full-length grew.

Next, the band headed back to North America for a tour with Children of Bodom and Amon Amarth, which ran from November 9th to December 16th. After a big hit at Big Day Out in New Zealand and Australia with the likes of Muse, My Chemical Romance and Tool they are now on Lamb of God’s Sacrament tour in the US along with Gojira And Machine Head. Afterwards a tour through Europe with Annihilator and Sanctity (instead of machine head) Ensued the tour the US.

Trivium are also joined the 2007 Family Values Tour with Korn, Evanescence and Atreyu and many others.

Read more about Trivium, click here:

The Black Dahlia Murder’s Appeal Is Visceral And Dark

bandmerchandise — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:57:37 CDT

The Black Dahlia Murder (TBDM) is a melodic death metal/metalcore band from Waterford, Michigan, and is a leader in the Detroit metal music scene. The Black Dahlia Murder is named after the unsolved murder of actress Elizabeth Short, often referred to as Black Dahlia.

The band played in Ozzfest 2005 and also participated in the Sounds of the Underground tour in 2006, which encompasses both the United States and Canada. They also played at Wacken Open Air in 2007.
Current bassist Bart Williams left his former band, Detroit's Today I Wait, to tour with the Black Dahlia Murder. After touring with the band on their co-headlining gig with Throwdown and their European dates with Liar, he joined the group full-time. Bart was one of two engineers (the other being Walls of Jericho's Mike Hasty) on the band's first full-length album, Unhallowed.

Strnad’s growth as a lyricist is just one of the ways the band expanded its sound on Miasma. Guitarist Brian Eschbach contributed more to the writing process while his counterpart John Kempainen wrote and played solos for every track. As a result, The Black Dahlia Murder—rounded out by bassist Dave Lock—have created an album that reflects the bonds cemented by the band’s two-year odyssey. Recorded and co-produced with the band by Scarlet drummer Andreas Magnusson at Planet Red Studio in Richmond, Virginia, Miasma is a deadly reinvention of The Black Dahlia Murder’s nefariously nasty melodic death metal sound. It is a sound that Kempainen simply describes as “more pissed off.” Strnad sees other improvements, as well, however. “The new songs are much heavier than anything on Unhallowed,” he declares. “We were making a conscious effort to challenge ourselves as players and give each song an identity of its own. And the addition of Zach has enabled us as a unit to write more complex and interesting arrangements.”

Miasma is just the latest chapter in the ever-twisted saga of The Black Dahlia Murder. Like the long-unsolved murder of a young Hollywood starlet that the band took its name from, The Black Dahlia Murder’s appeal is visceral and dark, a terror-filled exploration of extreme sounds and vicious brutality. And it is a step closer to the apex the band is still aiming its sights for. “I feel that we are yet to reach our prime,” says Strnad, “but Miasma is many steps closer to where we want to be. We have a better band in 2005 and now a record to show for it.”

Read more about The Black Dahlia Murder, click here:

Taking Back Sunday Proves To Be Successful On The Vans Warped Tour

bandmerchandise — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:55:52 CDT

Formed in 1999, Amityville, NY's Taking Back Sunday took their version of melodic hardcore from bands like Lifetime, Endpoint, and Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as guitarist Ed Reyes' emo band the Movielife. The band's first demo, a five-song CD, was released in February of 2001. After a year of self-promotion and touring, including shows with At the Drive-In and Alkaline Trio, Taking Back Sunday signed to Victory Records. The band immediately went into New Jersey's Big Blue Meanie Recording Studios with producer Sal Villanueva and engineer Tim Gilles to record a full-length debut. That album, Tell All Your Friends, layered Adam Lazzara's emotional vocals and the dual-guitar assault of Reyes and John Nolan for a classic hardcore sound with pop songwriting components. It was released on Victory in March of 2002.

The year 2004 proved to be successful for Taking Back Sunday, with the band opening for Blink-182 and being one of the main headliners for the Vans Warped Tour. In addition, their second album, titled Where You Want to Be, was released on July 27, 2004 on Victory Records. This album had a different sound than Tell All Your Friends. Propelled by the single A Decade Under the Influence, Where You Want to Be went on to debut at the #3 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with sales of around 163,000 copies. Taking Back Sunday received even more mainstream exposure by appearing (on the day of Where You Want to Be’s release) on the late night talk shows Jimmy Kimmel Live and Loveline, and by contributing the song This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know) to the soundtrack for Spider-Man 2. They also contributed the song Your Own Disaster to the Elektra soundtrack, and the original version of Error: Operator to both the Fantastic Four soundtrack and tie-in video game, where it served as Mr. Fantastic’s theme. An instrumental version is also used as background music within the game.

On April 25, 2006, Taking Back Sunday released their third album, entitled Louder Now, on Warner Bros. Records. It nearly mirrors the first two albums in style and message, yet delivers with a more polished sound. Louder Now was leaked onto the Internet in its entirety on April 19, 2006. Taking Back Sunday received mainstream exposure by appearing on the late night talk shows The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Late Night With Conan O’Brien.

Read more about Taking Back Sunday, click here:

Island Records Capitalizes On Punk Fad Signing Sum 41

bandmerchandise — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:53:56 CDT

Sum 41 hit worldwide radar in 1996 after tiny Ajax, Ontario, proved unable to fully contain the foursome's blathering mixture of punk-pop riffing, hip-hop poses, and toilet-bowl humor. Led by guitarist/vocalist Deryck Whibley, who looked like a mash-up of the Prodigy's Keith Flint and cartoon land's Calvin, the band also included guitarist/vocalist Dave Baksh, bassist Cone McCaslin, and drummer Steve Jocz. Wooed by the boys' goofy antics and incendiary live show (and excited about the prospect of promoting their very own blink-182), Island put Sum 41 on the payroll in 1999. The Half Hour of Power EP followed, and Warped Tour dates got the word out. They returned in 2000 with the fun-filled full-length All Killer No Filler, and the singles "In Too Deep" and "Fat Lip" became staples of both modern rock radio and Total Request Live.

The members of Sum 41 started out in rival bands in high school. They joke that they met while attending a Hole concert 41 days into the summer of 1996. According to the website Supernova, the band was originally named My Nuts Are Huge Kaspir, and changed their name to Sum 41 for a Supernova show on September 28, 1996. The website also states that they were scouted by Greig Nori of Treble Charger at a Supernova show at the Opera House in Toronto on February 24, 1996. However, the current bassist, Cone, joined the band in 1999, after the band went through several other bassists. They spent many years playing together hoping to make it big one day.
The band carried a video camera with them to film their crazy antics including robbing a pizza place with water guns and performing a dance to “Makes No Difference” in front of a theater (both of which can be seen on both Introduction to Destruction and on some versions of the bonus DVD from Does This Look Infected?).

The band submitted the video footage along with their demo tapes to several record labels. Island Records, wanting to capitalize on the punk fad popularized by Green Day, signed Sum 41 in early 2000.

Sum 41 released the album Half Hour of Power on June 27, 2000. The first single release by the band was “Makes No Difference”, which had 2 different videos. The first video was put together using the video clip sent to the record label and the second showed the band performing at a house party.

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Slayers Eyes Of The Insane Wins Grammy

bandmerchandise — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:52:19 CDT

Slayer was one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics deal with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of hell. Their full-throttle velocity, wildly chaotic guitar solos, and powerful musical chops paint an effectively chilling sonic background for their obsessive chronicling of the dark side; this correspondence has helped Slayer's music hold up arguably better than the remaining Big Three '80s thrash outfits (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax). Naturally, Slayer has stirred up quite a bit of controversy over the years, with rumors flying about Satanism and Nazism that have only added to their mystique. Over the years, Slayer put out some high-quality albums, one undisputed classic (Reign in Blood), and saw the numbers of naysayers and detractors shrinking as their impact on the growing death metal movement was gradually and respectfully acknowledged. Slayer survived into the 1990s with arguably the most vitality and the least compromise of any pre-Nirvana metal band, and their intensity still inspires similar responses from their devoted fans.

Though Araya has never used the low “grunt” vocal style usually associated with death metal, Slayer’s music (most notably on the albums Hell Awaits (1985) and Reign in Blood (1986)) are generally regarded as having exerted a major influence on death metal and black metal. Moreover, Reign in Blood was the first of many albums to be produced by well-known and respected Def Jam Co-Founder, Rick Rubin.

They have had many run-ins with controversy. Many religious groups fight to get their music banned, resulting in their latest release “Christ Illusion” being pulled in India. Even worse, their album “God Hates Us All” was released on Sept. 11, 2001. All posters promoting the album and release date were quickly removed.
The video for their song “ Eyes Of The Insane” was released on october 30, 2006. The song won a Grammy-award for “Best Metal Performance” on February 11, 2007.

There are rumours revolving around Slayer deciding whether or not to retire from the musical profession as many of the band members are either “too old” or just “can’t be bothered for studios”, but on their official website they are saying they will still make thrash as hard as ever for years to come.

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