Tag Archives: Five Finger Death Punch

Disturbed Return After 4-Year Hiatus with New Album, Single and Video‏

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Sometimes less is more. When a band puts out a release every year, year after year, the music and excitement can grow stale. Now, after a four year absence Disturbed is returning to kick our collective asses with some new music. the Hellion Rocks is really looking forward to this release!

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DISTURBED ANNOUNCE RETURN FROM HIATUS WITH

NEW ALBUM IMMORTALIZED DUE AUGUST 21 WORLDWIDE

 

OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR FIRST SINGLE “THE VENGEFUL ONE” OUT NOW

 

ALBUM AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER EVERYWHERE TODAY

 

June 23, 2015 – Burbank, CA – After a four-year hiatus, Grammy Award-nominated, multiplatinum hard rock titans Disturbed have announced their return with their sixth studio album, entitled Immortalized, to be released August 21 through Reprise Records.  Lead single “The Vengeful One” is out now, along with the accompanying animated video from award-winning filmmaker Phil Mucci, and Immortalized is available for pre-order everywhere today. The upcoming release follows 2010’s gold-certified Asylum, Disturbed‘s fourth consecutive #1 on the Billboard Top 200, and the group’s subsequent four-year hiatus, which gave members David Draiman [vocals], Dan Donegan [guitar], Mike Wengren [drums], and John Moyer [bass] the necessary reprieve to make this imminent and deliberate return.

Watch/share the official video for “The Vengeful One”:

“The idea was to leave when we were at our peak, which we were, and to come back when we felt reinvigorated,” asserts Draiman. “We had basically been going nonstop since 1998,” adds Wengren. “We got to do our own things. It didn’t take too long until the itch started coming back.” And Donegan agrees: “We wanted to return when we collectively had that fire underneath us. We missed it so much that we could tap into this energy and deliver the right album. We did it on our own terms.”

 

In January 2014, Draiman, Donegan, and Wengren met for dinner in their hometown of Chicago. Shortly thereafter, without notifying friends, families, or their label, the three began to fly back and forth to each other’s respective home studios for writing sessions, marking the beginnings of Immortalized and the first time they collectively wrote together since 2001.

 

“For this album, everything was written in the same room,” Draiman remarks. “It was wonderful experiencing how it used to be back in the day for us. That became apparent in the material, whether it was the passion of the performance, the power being harnessed, or the feelings evoked. We could feel the difference.”

 

To push themselves further, the group headed to Las Vegas’ Hideout Recordings to work alongside producer Kevin Churko [Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch]. “The goal was to find a producer we felt creatively comfortable with, but who could challenge us and spark a new evolution,” said Donegan. “Churko did that.”

 

The resulting record features the unshakable first single “The Vengeful One” – “Musically, it’s got that old school metal sound,” says Donegan. “It’s definitely Disturbed!” – along with an outside-the-box cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence,” unlike anything in the group’s catalog.

 

“I think the fans will feel like it was worth the wait,” says Donegan. “We’ve been planning this for the past year and keeping it a secret so we can’t wait to hear the response. I hope fans realize we have a lot more left in us. This album reassured me of that. To be away from it for almost 5 years, get back in a room, write together, and tap into that fire is awesome. Part of me didn’t want to leave the studio! We still have a lot more to say. We still have a lot more to do. We’re returning stronger than ever. I think Immortalized shows that.”

 

Formed in Chicago in 1996, Disturbed have sold 12 million albums globally, scored nine No. 1 singles at Active Rock Radio, and had four consecutive albums debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, a feat shared only with Metallica and Dave Matthews Band. Their quadruple-platinum 2000 debut The Sickness formally announced their arrival as hard rock leaders, with that status solidified by their subsequent gold-, platinum- and double platinum-certified records as well as a Grammy Award nomination in the category of “Best Hard Rock Performance” for “Inside the Fire” in 2009.

 

Pre-order the album, including deluxe limited edition bundles:

http://smarturl.it/DSTImmortalized

Immortalized Track Listing:

1.       The Eye Of The Storm

2.       Immortalized

3.       The Vengeful One

4.       Open Your Eyes

5.       The Light

6.       What Are You Waiting For

7.       You’re Mine

8.       Who

9.       Save Our Last Goodbye

10.     Fire It Up

11.     The Sound of Silence

12.     Never Wrong

13.     Who Taught You How To Hate

14.     Tyrant*

15.     Legion of Monsters*

16.     The Brave And The Bold*

* Deluxe Only

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Photo Credit: Travis Shinn

 

http://www.disturbed1.com/ | https://www.facebook.com/Disturbed

     it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s DISTURBED!!!!

     -the Hellion

 

Covers! Covers! Covers!

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rant

Ahhh the old cover issue again. I have been asked to revisit covers so here it is. I have stated in the pas that there are good, and there are bad, very bad. As I am writing this I am reminded of classic rock songs that are ruined by rap/hip hop artists. I am of the opinion that some artists cannot come up with something of their own so they cover an already successful song and others choose to pay homage to the artists which inspired them.

There are songs out there that achieved little or no attention by the original artists for example:

“I Love Rock ‘N Roll” which was written and recorded in 1975 by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of Arrows.

     And then there is the Joan Jett cover from 1982 which the world knows and loves.

  

     I am probably one of the few people who actually prefers the original but Joan stayed true to the original vibe of the song.

     “New York Groove” was written by Russ Ballard and first recorded by Hello in 1975.

     Then the world famous version by Ace Frehley of KISS in 1978.

     Ace stayed true to the original as well and, in this case, I prefer the Ace version.

     “Space Truckin'” by Deep Purple is one of my favorite songs in the world and was written in 1972.

     Tesla decided to take  on this hard charging track on their ambitious Real To Reel release in 2007.

     Tesla crushed this cover and kept to the original Deep purple vibe, but I still prefer the original.

     Now to the covers which leave me less enthusiastic. I have heard some people talking about these songs as if the covers were the original tracks which makes me nuts.

     Let’s go back to 1934 where Clarence “Tom” Ashley and Gwen Foster recorded an old folk song called “House Of The Rising Sun”

  

     This song was made popular by the Animals in 1964 and is probably the best known version of the track.

     which has led to the version Five Finger Death Punch recorded in 2013.

     While I happen to dig the vibe of the earlier versions I think the FFDP version is an abomination and shows no respect to the original song. I am embarrassed for the band and their version of it.

     “Good Times Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin was recorded in 1968 and was a blast to the ears and mind.

     While I was an early Godsmack fan their 2007 version was a miss for me.

     

     I think it’s obvious that the Led Zeppelin version wins out for me.

     Ok, so all of this is just a matter of opinion for me and I mean no disrespect to anyone. Please share your opinions with me and the readers as we would love to hear them.

     it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s ROCK N’ ROLL!!!

     -the Hellion

From the mouths of RED DRAGON CARTEL: the story

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91aNF0PvpOL._SL1500_      Frontiers Records has just released a video of Red Dragon Cartel members Jake E. Lee, Ronnie Mancuso, Darren James Smith, Jonas Fairley telling the tale of how Red Dragon Cartel came to be.  Check it out it’s pretty cool:

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     it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s RED DRAGON CARTEL!

     the Hellion

 

RED DRAGON CARTEL RELEASE VIDEO FOR “DECEIVED” FROM BAND’S UPCOMING SELF-TITLED DEBUT OUT ON JANUARY 28th

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RED DRAGON CARTEL RELEASE VIDEO FOR “DECEIVED” FROM BAND’S UPCOMING SELF-TITLED DEBUT OUT ON JANUARY 28th

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Band Set To Hit The Road For The First Time This March

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(New York, NY – January 21, 2014) – Red Dragon Cartel have been making waves since the band announced the release of their upcoming debut last year. Now, the band made up of guitar legend Jake E. Lee, bassist Ronnie Mancuso, singer D.J. Smith and drummer Jonas Fairley are unveiling their debut video for the song “Deceived.” The song comes from their soon-to-be-released Frontiers Records album Red Dragon Cartel out on January 28th. The video for the song can be seen at  and fans that pre-order the album digitally on iTunes at http://smarturl.it/reddragoncartelreceive the song as an instant download. The album is also available for pre-order on Amazon.com at http://amzn.to/1aYjMng.

 

 

Jake E. Lee is best known for his work in Badlands and as guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne on Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin albums. Red Dragon Cartel also features various guest appearances from some of music’s most notable faces including legendary Cheap Trick vocalist Robin Zander, original Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno, Kill Devil Hill/Pantera bassist Rex Brown, Sass Jordan, Slash’s Conspirators Todd Kearns and Brent Fitz and In This Moment front woman Maria Brink. The album was produced by Ronnie Mancuso and Jake E. Lee and was executive produced, mixed and mastered by Kevin Churko (In This Moment, Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch).

 

Red Dragon Cartel will be hitting the road in the road in March to showcase Jake E Lee’s return to the world. The tour kicks off March 5th in Tempe, AZ and runs all the way through April 6th, where it wraps up in Seneca, NY. The tour will make stops in Oklahoma City, Houston, Raleigh and Philadelphia to name a few. The band will also be heading over to Europe where they are confirmed to perform at this year’s Download Festival in Donnington, England and the famed Sweden Rock Festival. More dates are being added around the world as the band looks to bring the music of Red Dragon Cartel to every corner of the globe.

 

From the opening riff of “Deceived” to final sustained piano chord of “Exquisite Tenderness,” it is clear Red Dragon Cartel has created an album that stands amongst some of the greatest hard rock albums of all time. Infectious songs such as “Shout It Out,” “Wasted” and “Slave” showcase the band’s ability to write memorable hooks and vocal melodies. Robin Zander of Cheap Trick lends his voice to the track “Feeder” and a lyric video for the song can be seen athttp://tinyurl.com/FeederLyricVideo. Maria Brink of In This Moment lends her unique vocals to the track “Big Mouth.” Paul Di’Anno and Sass Jordan also lend their talents to the band’s debut. Jake E. Lee’s trademark playing style instantly shines through and picks up right where he left off.

Red Dragon Cartel – Official Website: http://reddragoncartel.com Official Facebook: www.facebook.com/reddragoncartel  Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/reddragoncartel

 

Tour Dates:

Mar. 5 Las Vegas, NV The Marquee

Mar. 13 Owaso, OK Lava Cable

Mar. 14 Oklahoma City, OK The Chameleon Room

Mar. 15 Houston, TX Concert Pub North

Mar. 20 Hazard, KY Summit City

Mar. 21 Janesville, WI The Back Bar

Mar. 22 Fridley, MN Leighton’s Pickle Park

Mar. 23 Richmond, IN The Firehouse

Mar. 25 McKees Rocks, PA Dead Hourse

Mar. 28 Largo, FL Largo Cultural Center

Mar. 29 – Apr. 1 Miami, FL Monsters Of Rock Cruise

Apr. 2 Teaneck, NJ Mexicali Live

Apr. 3 Philadelphia, PA The Legendary Dobbs

Apr. 4 Amityville, NY Revolutions

Apr. 6 West Seneca, NY Rock & Roll Heaven

May 30 Vienna, AUS Szene

May 31 Munich, GER Backstage

Jun 5 Norje Solvesborg, SWE Sweden Rock Festival

Jun 15 Donnington, ENG Download Festival

Jun 19 Seattle, WA El Corazon

Jun 21 Idaho Falls, ID Rock The Falls

 

Red Dragon Cartel CD review

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1. Deceived
(Lee/Mancuso/Churko/Fairley)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars
Ronnie Mancuso: Bass
Darren James Smith: Vocals
Jonas Fairley: Drums and Vocals

2. Shout It Out
(Lee/Mancuso)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars,Keyboards and Sound Design)
Ronnie Mancuso: Bass
Darren James Smith: Vocals
Brent Fitz: Drums

3. Feeder
(Lee/Mancuso/Churko/Zander/Peterson)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars
Ronnie Mancuso: Sound Design
Robin Zander: Vocals
Tom Petersson: 12-String Bass
Jeremy Spencer: Drums

4. Fall From The Sky (Seagull)
(Lee/Mancuso)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars
Ronnie Mancuso: Bass
Darren James Smith: Vocals
Brent Fitz: Drums

5. Wasted
(Lee/Mancuso/Di’Anno)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars
Ronnie Mancuso: Bass
Paul Di’Anno: Vocals
Brent Fitz: Drums

6. Slave
(Lee/Mancuso/Churko)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars and Sound Design
Rex Brown: Bass
Darren James Smith: Vocals
Jeremy Spencer: Drums
Ronnie Mancuso: Keyboards
Kane Churko: Background Vocals

7. Big Mouth
(Lee/Mancuso/Kevin Churko/Kane Churko/Brink)
Jake E. Lee: Guitars
Ronnie Mancuso: Bass
Maria Brink: Vocals
Kevin Churko: Drums and Vocals
Chris Howorth: Trade Off End Guitar Solos

8.War Machine
(Lee/Mancuso/Churko/Fairley)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars
Scott Reeder: Bass
Darren James Smith: Vocals
Jonas Fairley: Drums and Vocals
Ronnie Mancuso & Louie Merlino: Background Vocals

9.Redeem Me
(Lee/Mancuso/Fitz/Jordan)
Jake E. Lee: All Guitars
Sass Jordan: Vocals
Todd Kerns: Bass
Brent Fitz: Drums
Darren James Smith: Background Vocals

10. Exquisite Tenderness
(Lee)
Jake E. Lee: Piano

 

 

It’s funny how things work out. I heard rumors of the return of one of my favorite guitarists Jake E. Lee and here I am writing a review from an advance copy of his new project Red Dragon Cartel.

The self-titled debut from Red Dragon Cartel is poised to be a contender for one of the top releases of 2014. I have been waiting a long time for some new stuff from Jake E. Lee and this release does not disappoint. Don’t expect to hear something like the stuff he did with Ozzy or Badlands, this is an entirely new entity.

The guitar playing is easily identifiable as Jake, but there’s something new and fresh to his playing. Jake, it seems, has come out of exile and the world has gotten a little brighter in his doing so.

The Red Dragon Cartel project came to be when Jake joined forces with session guitarist and Beggars & Thieves bassist Ronnie Mancuso.  Jake appeared in a Beggars & Thieves video for the track “We Come Undone” which sparked an outcry for new music from Jake. The chemistry was right and the sparks started flying. Ronnie shares Hideout Studios with producer Kevin Churko (Five Finger Death Punch, Ozzy Osbourne) who was asked to be the executive producer for their new “project”.  The pair then searched for a singer and drummer and came up with a couple of Canadian musicians, vocalist D.J. Smith and drummer Jonas Fairley. The Cartel was complete and worked commenced on the record. Magic was made and the music world got an adrenaline injection to the heart.

The CD opens with “Deceived”  and a guitar riff that is immediately identifiable as Jake E. Lee. I f you didn’t know anything else about the track you would know it was Jake playing guitar. This one is a fist pumping song that the crowd can get behind . I can already hear the crowd shouting out the chorus in unison, ahhh the power of music. We are also introduced to the powerful voice of Darren James Smith who is a great fit in this band. Ronnie Mancuso and Jonas Fairley provide and excellent rhythm section to the track.

“Shout It Out” features guest drummer Brent Fitz (Slash, Theory of a Deadman, Alice Cooper, Vince Neil, Union, The Guess Who, Lamya, Streetheart, Harlequin, Econoline Crush) and again is a head nodding track that will surely be a crowd favorite live.

“Feeder” features guest appearances by Cheap Trick members Robin Zander and Tom Petersson, and drummer Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch). This track has a retro feel, kind of trippy sounding and one of my favorites on the record. Very cool to see the Cheap Trick guys part of this amazing body of work.

“Fall From The Sky (Seagull)” again features Brent Fitz on drums has an ethereal feeling to it. There are great vocals and melodies to be found right here. The feelings that Jake invokes on the solo just fill you up with so much positive energy and emotion.

“Wasted” features vocals from my favorite Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno and again Brent Fitz on drums. The music fits right around Paul’s vocals like a glove. This song has a classic hard rock song but with a modern edge to it. Thumbs up on this one. Guitar is smoking on this, love the talk box in it (you gotta listen for it).

“Slave” features some killer bass from the man Rex Brown (Pantera, Kill Devil Hill), drums again from Jeremy Spencer and background vocals from Kane Churko (Modern Science). Killer groove and powerful track with great riffs.

“Big Mouth” features guest vocalist Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth  (In This Moment), Kevin Churko (production of: Ringo Star, Ozzy Osbourne, Simon Collins, In this Moment,Five Finger Death Punch, Slash, Hinder, Gemini Syndrome, Modern Science, Shania Twain) on drums and vocals. This is the “grooviest”  track on the record and the vocals from Maria give it good vibe.

“War Machine” features guest bassist Scott Reeder (Kyuss, The Obsessed, Sun And Sail Club) and Louie Merlino (Beggars & Thieves) on backing vocals. This is the longest (6:11) and heaviest track on the record. Reminiscent of older Sabbath this is easily my favorite track on the record. I find myself getting lost in the track time after time. Jake provides a doom laden groove all the way to full on shred in this one.

“Redeem Me” features guest vocals from Sass Jordan and bass from Todd “DAMMIT” Kerns (Slash, Age of Electric, Static In Stereo, Sin City Sinners). Sass provides some soulful vocals over a solidly built track.

“Exquisite Tenderness” is an instrumental piano piece. This is the first piece that Jake E. Lee ever composed as a child. I find it in good taste that they included it here. It gives insight to the beauty that was to come from the mind of Jake in the future.

While I love all of the guests on the album (I think it’s a cool move to bond with your fellow musicians) I can’t wait to see how the core band of Jake, Ronnie, D.J., and Jonas bond and make all of the songs their own. Ronnie Mancuso is a solid songwriter and player and that is quite evident on this record. Jonas holds his own on the kit backing these heavy players. Darren James Smith shows his vocal versatility here, going from smooth vocals to in your face raw power.  I am hoping that they continue to grow and develop into band that will be around for a LONG, LONG time.

I would give this album 15 stars out of 10, it’s that good. Jake E. Lee is back in a big way and I’m glad.

it’s loud,it’s dirty, it’s the RED DRAGON CARTEL!!!

the Hellion

Rock Radio Legend LOU BRUTUS Holds First Ever Photo Exhibition – Ten LOU BRUTUS Concert Photos Are Currently Up for Bid on eBay with All Money Going to Wounded Warrior Project‏

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Rock Radio Legend LOU BRUTUS Holds First Ever Photo Exhibition

Ten LOU BRUTUS Concert Photos Are Currently Up for Bid on eBay with All Money Going to Wounded Warrior Project

Brutus Will Meet with Fans in Madison, WI on Saturday December 14, 2013 at An Exhibition of the Photographs. Select Images Will Also Be Shown in the Lobby of Madison’s Orpheum Theatre That Evening

 

Rock Radio legend LOU BRUTUS, who was recently voted Best DJ in America by voters in the Rock Radio Awards sponsored by Radio Contraband, is exhibiting his concert photography for the very first time with ten of the images currently being auctioned on eBay to benefit Wounded Warrior Project.

The photographs, taken at various locations around the United States, include onstage images of Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Stone Sour, Shinedown, Halestorm, Disturbed, KoRn, Volbeat, and Jackyl. The photos, culled from the thousands Brutus has shot over his career, were chosen via fan votes on his Facebook page. Each has been framed and matted with the mat hand signed by Brutus in pencil.

Apart from his broadcast career, Lou is an accomplished photographer.  His lighthouse photography has graced magazine covers and he has worked the last six seasons as an on field Major League Baseball photographer. He often shoots rock bands as he travels the world to interview them. This is the first time his photography has ever been available for purchase.

 

Brutus will exhibit the photographs and meet with fans at Diego’s at 118 State Street in Madison, WI on Saturday December 14, 2013 beginning at 4:30pm CT. Admission is free to the public. While the auction will be closed by that time, those photos will be displayed as well as other images by Brutus that can be won by raffle with the proceeds again benefiting Wounded Warrior Project. Following which, select images from the exhibit will be set up for viewing in the lobby of the Orpheum Theatre in Madison at the Halestorm/Redlight King/Stars in Stereo show.

LOU BRUTUS is best known for his seventeen plus years of national syndication as the host of hardDrive with Lou Brutus and hardDrive XL with Lou Brutus, which can be heard on over 100 radio stations nationwide, as well as his work on other national radio platforms. He has done local shows in Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington DC, and Providence.

Brutus has also hosted radio specials and/or created radio channels for Metallica, Slipknot, Stone Sour, Rush, Disturbed, Theory of a Deadman, Smashing Pumpkins, and countless others. He was the very first to give national airplay to innumerable bands including Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, Halestorm, Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack and Sevendust.

LOU BRUTUS is currently working on his first book. It’s a collection of music industry war stories and photography, mixed with the museum sized collection of music memorabilia he has collected in his travels including thousands of backstage passes, ticket stubs, guitar picks, and concert posters. It will be entitled “One Man – Two Thousand Concerts: The Greatest Freakin’ Collection of Music Junk and Stories in History.” Sample chapter titles include “The Time Our Tour Bus Ran Over A Suicidal Crack Head on the New Jersey Turnpike,” “The Time I Hid in A Broom Closet So Frank Sinatra’s Bodyguards Wouldn’t Break My Legs, Wrap Me in Chain Link Fence & Drop Me Into the Ocean”, and “The Time I Went to the Arctic and Got In A Mosh Pit with A Bunch of Eskimos While Metallica Sang About Fucking A Goat.”

www.loubrutus.com

www.grumpyoldpunks.com

www.deadschembechlers.com

www.twitter.com/loubrutus

www.facebook.com/loubrutusrocks

TICKETS ONSALE NOW for the 6th Annual ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL‏

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TICKETS ONSALE NOW for the 6th Annual ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL

This Year Featuring:

ROB ZOMBIE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MASTODON, AMON AMARTH, MACHINE HEAD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, BEHEMOTH AND MANY MORE

The 72-Hour Get Off Your Ass Deal Starts TODAY – Get $20 Lawn Tickets NOW!

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Tour Starts June 29th in San Bernardino, CA

The time has come! Tickets are on sale at 12pm Noon across all markets for ALL 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL tour stops. Get your tickets NOW at www.rockstarmayhemfest.com or www.livenation.com. Additionally, today is the kick off for the 72-hour $20 Get Off Your Ass ticket deal! Act now – for the next 72 hours (through Monday, March 25th) get off your ass and get $20 lawn tickets for the 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL (while supplies last, excluding Boise, ID market). Get your 72-hour Get Off Your Ass tickets at the official ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL website –http://rockstarmayhemfest.com.

On Monday, the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL, the world’s biggest hard and heavy music touring festival announced its electrifying sixth-year lineup at the official press conference, which took place at the legendary Whisky A-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA. An impressive 3.8 mile processional of custom motorcycles and carriages ushered this year’s artists from the Hollywood Palladium all the way to their final destination at the Whisky. Fans, press and industry came out in droves to witness what proved to be an amazingly unprecedented event. Check out some exclusive footage on the official ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL YouTube page now: http://youtu.be/XjZUtzcLmtE. Also, make sure to check out photos and interviews that took place at the press conference via RollingStone.com, LA Weekly, and FUSE TV now!

Artists performing on the 2013 thunderous fest include main stage metal and horror legend, festival closer, ROB ZOMBIE, plus, the triple gold certified FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and a monster lineup that includes additional main stage bands MASTODON andAMON AMARTH. The festival area is led by stage closers CHILDREN OF BODOM and MACHINE HEAD as well asBEHEMOTH, JOB FOR A COWBOY, EMMURE, BORN OF OSIRIS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BUTCHER BABIES, BATTLECROSS, HUNTRESS, THROWN INTO EXILE and CITY IN THE SEA. Four stages will be presented this year for the first time ever and the stages include the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE, THE JAGERMEISTER STAGE, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE, as well as, the SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY CONCOURSE STAGE, (local bands performing on the Sumerian Records/Headbang for the Highway Stage will be announced in June). The World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team THE METAL MULISHA is also confirmed to perform on most dates.

Sponsors for the 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL include title sponsor ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK and stage sponsors JAGERMEISTER, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE, and SUMERIAN RECORDS. Festival sponsors include IBANEZ GUITARS,

ZIPPO, METAL BLADE RECORDS, NAPALM RECORDS, SQUATCH SNACK STICKS, FUCK CANCER and KEEP A BREAST. Media partners include REVOLVER MAGAZINE and ZUUS MEDIA.

In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph signing sessions and a slew of various interactive activities that will only add to the festival experience.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK will be sampling their products and providing awesome surprises for all attendees.  Rockstar will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated as THE ROCKSTAR LOUNGE and the festival area PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR TENT where fans can sample ice cold Rockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.

Addition to the festival’s music and arts, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival have partnered to create the Rockstar Mayhem Independent Artist Scholarship! This scholarship fully covers tuition and material fees for a two quarter IAP certificate (Room, Boarding and Travel are not included.) The application period runs from March 18 until June 1, 2013. Applicants must visitwww.mi.edu/mayhem-rock-festivalscholarship to enter.

The tour will stop in 26 cities across the United States and Canada as it makes its way to the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas on August 4th, 2013. Dates and venues are listed below. Fans can go to www.rockstarmayhemfest.com to keep up with additional details as they are released.

 

Tour dates are as follows:

 

Date    City                             Venue

6/29     San Bernardino, CA     San Manuel Amphitheater

6/30     Mountain View, CA    Shoreline Amphitheatre

7/2       Boise, ID                    Idaho Center Amphitheatre

7/3       Auburn, WA                White River Amphitheater

7/5       Phoenix, AZ                Desert Sky Pavilion

7/6       Albuquerque, NM        Isleta Amphitheatre

7/7       Denver, CO                 Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

7/10     Toronto, ON                Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

7/12     Burgettstown, PA         First Niagara Pavilion

7/13     Scranton, PA                Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain

7/14     Darien Center, NY       Darien Lake PAC

7/16     Mansfield, MA            Comcast Center

7/17     Bangor, ME                 Bangor Waterfront

7/19     Camden, NJ                 Susquehanna Bank Center

7/20     Saratoga Springs, NY   SPAC

7/21     Hartford, CT                The Comcast Theatre

7/23     Holmdel, NJ               PNC Bank Arts Center

7/24     Bristow, VA                 Jiffy Lube Live

7/26     Noblesville, IN            Klipsch Music Center

7/27     Tinley Park, IL             First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

7/28     Clarkston, MI DTE      Energy Music Theatre

7/30     Atlanta, GA                 Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

7/31     Tampa, FL                   Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds

8/2       Austin, TX                   Austin360 Amphitheater

8/3       The Woodlands, TX    Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

8/4       Dallas, TX                   Gexa Energy Pavilion

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL STAGES AND ARTISTS:

 

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE

ROB ZOMBIE

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

MASTODON

AMON AMARTH

MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE               JAGERMEISTER STAGE

CHILDREN OF BODOM                                             MACHINE HEAD

BEHEMOTH                                                                   JOB FOR A COWBOY

EMMURE                                                                        BUTCHER BABIES

BORN OF OSIRIS                                                         BATTLECROSS

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE                                         HUNTRESS

THROWN INTO EXILE

SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY STAGE

CITY IN THE SEA

3 LOCAL OPENERS

About ROCKSTAR – Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles – from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 20 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. New from Rockstar for 2013, Rockstar Energy Water is a non-carbonated and sugar free enhanced water beverage that is now available throughout the U.S. in three refreshing flavors. For more information visit: www.RockstarEnergy.com. Find us at: www.facebook.com/rockstar –www.twitter.com/RockstarEnergy

www.instagram.com/RockstarEnergy – www.youtube.com/Rockstar

ABOUT LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT:

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: www.Tickmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation and Live Nation Network. www.Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five ecommerce sites, with a database of over 119 million fans who visit our sites. Live Nation Concerts produce over 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Artist Nation is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 200 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 250 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit  www.livenation.com/investors .

THE SIXTH ANNUAL ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ARTIST LINEUP‏

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THE SIXTH ANNUAL ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ARTIST LINEUP

ROB ZOMBIE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MASTODON, AMON AMARTH, MACHINE HEAD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, BEHEMOTH AND MANY MORE

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Tickets Go On Sale Friday March 22nd at 12 Noon

Tour Starts June 29th In San Bernardino, CA

(BEVERLY HILLS, CA) March 18th – Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, the world’s biggest hard and heavy music touring festival announces its electrifying sixth-year lineup. Artists performing on the 2013 thunderous fest include main stage metal and horror legend, festival closer, ROB ZOMBIE, plus, the triple gold certified FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and a monster lineup that includes additional main stage bands MASTODON and AMON AMARTH. The festival area is led by stage closers CHILDREN OF BODOMand MACHINE HEAD as well as BEHEMOTH, JOB FOR A COWBOY, EMMURE, BORN OF OSIRIS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BUTCHER BABIES, BATTLECROSS, HUNTRESS, THROWN INTO EXILE and CITY IN THE SEA. Four stages will be presented this year for the first time ever and the stages include the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE, THE JAGERMEISTER STAGE, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE, as well as, the SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY CONCOURSE STAGE, (local bands performing on the Sumerian Records/Headbang for the Highway Stage will be announced in June).

All tickets go on sale March 22nd at 12:00 Noon local venue time via

www.rockstarmayhemfest.com or www.livenation.com.  The tour will stop in 26 cities across the United States and Canada as it makes its way to the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas on August 4th, 2013. Dates and venues are listed below.

Get a sneak peak of new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH music here.

A rock icon and auteur filmmaker with insight and unlimited vision, Rob Zombie has continuously challenged audiences as he stretches the boundaries of music, film, and publishing. Now, the seven-time Grammy nominated recording artist releases his fifth solo album, Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, which streets April 23, and includes the first single, “ Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Super Town,” along with such tracks as “Ging Gang Gong De Do Gong De Laga Raga,” “Lucifer Rising,” “Behold! The Pretty Filthy Creatures” and a heavy-duty cover of Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re an American Band.” Rob Zombie’s Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor is the first release on his new label, Zodiac Swan, through T-Boy Records/UME. Zombie’s also written and directed his 6th feature film, “The Lords of Salem”, in theaters April 19th (Anchor Bay).

After three gold albums in a row and ten consecutive top ten radio singles, Five Finger Death

Punch continue their evolution in 2013 by releasing a new single in early May, followed by their fourth studio album in June.  FFDP are set to perform live at this year’s Revolver Golden

Gods Awards show in Los Angeles on May 2 and will warm up for Mayhem playing this summer’s most prestigious European festivals, amongst them UK’s Download Festival and

Germany’s Rock am Ring and Rock im Park.

The World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team THE METAL MULISHA is also confirmed to

perform on most dates.

Sponsors for the 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL include title sponsor

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK and stage sponsors JAGERMEISTER, MUSICIANS

INSTITUTE, and SUMERIAN RECORDS. Festival sponsors include IBANEZ GUITARS,

ZIPPO, METAL BLADE RECORDS, NAPALM RECORDS, SQUATCH SNACK STICKS,

FUCK CANCER and KEEP A BREAST. Media partners include REVOLVER MAGAZINE and

ZUUS MEDIA.

In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival

activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph

signing sessions and a slew of various interactive activities that will only add to the festival

experience.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK will be sampling their products and providing awesome surprises for

all attendees.  Rockstar will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated as THE

ROCKSTAR LOUNGE and the festival area PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR TENT where fans can sample ice cold Rockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.

Addition to the festival’s music and arts, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE and the Rockstar

Energy Drink Mayhem Festival have partnered to create the Rockstar Mayhem Independent

Artist Scholarship! This scholarship fully covers tuition and material fees for a two quarter IAP

certificate (Room, Boarding and Travel are not included.) The application period runs from

March 18 until June 1, 2013. Applicants must visit www.mi.edu/mayhem-rock-festivalscholarship

to enter.

Fans can go to www.rockstarmayhemfest.com to keep up with additional details as they are

released.

Make sure to check out this brand new video announcing the official 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival line up and stay tuned to Mayhem TV for more video updates and features coming soon!

Tour dates are as follows:

Date City Venue

6/29 San Bernardino, CA San Manuel Amphitheater

6/30 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre

7/2 Boise, ID Idaho Center Amphitheatre

7/3 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheater

7/5 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion

7/6 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheatre

7/7 Denver, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

7/10 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

7/12 Burgettstown, PA First Niagara Pavilion

7/13 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain

7/14 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake PAC

7/16 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center

7/17 Bangor, ME Bangor Waterfront

7/19 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

7/20 Saratoga Springs, NY SPAC

7/21 Hartford, CT The Comcast Theatre

7/23 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center

7/24 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live

7/26 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center

7/27 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

7/28 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre

7/30 Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

7/31 Tampa, FL Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds

8/2 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater

8/3 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

8/4 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL STAGES AND ARTISTS:

 

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE

ROB ZOMBIE

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

MASTODON

AMON AMARTH

MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE               JAGERMEISTER STAGE

CHILDREN OF BODOM                                MACHINE HEAD

BEHEMOTH                                                   JOB FOR A COWBOY

EMMURE                                                        BUTCHER BABIES

BORN OF OSIRIS                                           BATTLECROSS

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE                               HUNTRESS

THROWN INTO EXILE

SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY STAGE

CITY IN THE SEA

3 LOCAL OPENERS

About ROCKSTAR – Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles –

from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 20 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in

over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action

Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. New from Rockstar for 2013, Rockstar Energy Water is a

non-carbonated and sugar free enhanced water beverage that is now available throughout the

U.S. in three refreshing flavors. For more information visit: www.RockstarEnergy.com

Find us at: www.facebook.com/rockstar – www.twitter.com/RockstarEnergy

www.instagram.com/RockstarEnergy – www.youtube.com/Rockstar

ABOUT LIVE NATION ENTERTAINMENT:

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and ecommerce company,

comprised of four market leaders: www.Tickmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation and

Live Nation Network. www.Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the

world’s top five ecommerce sites, with a database of over 119 million fans who visit our sites.

Live Nation Concerts produce over 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally.

Artist Nation is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 200 artists.

These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing

solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 250 million consumers Live Nation

delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit

www.livenation.com/investors .

http://www.rockstarmayhemfest.com/

 

COVER SONGS?!?!?

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I was recently asked my opinion on several new cover songs. So I thought I would talk about a few here. I’m not gonna bash any artists here, but there are some covers that I don’t like. I like the bands that did them but not their covers.

“Whiskey In The Jar” 

A cover of a cover. Yes this is a traditional Irish folk song originally that was transformed into a modern rock version by Thin Lizzy. Metallica then covered Thin Lizzy’s cover. Now these are the most noted versions of this song. Many , many others have covered this song in many forms. I am still partial to the groove of the Thin Lizzy version. Let’s check out  a traditional version, Thin Lizzy’s, and then Metallica’s :

THE DUBLINERS

THIN LIZZY

METALLICA

 

 “Bad Company”

This is one of my favorite songs of all times. It is one of those magical songs that takes me to a different place and time. I can readily imagine living as an outlaw in the old west. Bad company really captured magic with this song. Five Finger Death Punch covered this song recently. I like Five Finger Death Punch but their cover, not so much. I just feel that they changed the entire vibe of the song. They made it heavier, and changed some of the lyrics in a way that doesn’t sit right with me.  For example:

Bad Co.
Oh I was born 6-gun in my hand
Behind a gun I’ll make my final stand

FFDP
I was born A shotgun in my hands
Behind the gun I’ll make my final stand

Bad Co.
Now these town They all know our name 6-gun sound is our claim to fame

FFDP
Now these towns they all know our names The death punch sound is our claim to fame

BAD COMPANY

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH

 

     “SEASONS OF WITHER”

I always preferred the songs that weren’t hits over the ones that were by Aerosmith. I think of all this would be my favorite Aerosmith song of all. I love the haunting progression of  this song, it is pure magic for me. Tesla did a cover of this and stayed true to the song and did it justice in doing so.

AEROSMITH

TESLA

 

“SMOKE ON THE WATER” 

This iconic song and it’s signature riff has been covered over and over. Again we shall look at only three of them. Deep Purple’s original, Loud House’s cover, and Vains Of Jenna’s cover. Of course I love the original in all of its anthemic glory. Loud House covered it and changed it up so much that I feel the song got lost and never found its way home. Vains Of Jenna took a bold move and took out the signature riff of the song and made it work. Let’s listen:

DEEP PURPLE

LOUD HOUSE

VAINS OF JENNA

 

There’s my take on some covers. No disrespect intended to any of the bands who have covered songs. As everything is open to interpretation and music means different things to different people. These are just my opinions. If you want, please share your thoughts on here on these or any other covers.

 

the Hellion