LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler has teamed with famed producer Josh Wilbur (Atreyu, Avenged Sevenfold) to produce the new album from the band THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE, which is due out this Spring on Good Fight Music. 
 
With a creative approach, broad vision, and DIY principles, THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE is a group that exhibits the patience and dedication to step outside the box and create something both heavy and unique. With a foundation steadily built from self-released recordings and self- booked tours, THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE signed to LifeForce Records and released their first commercial debut, "Monuments", in September 07 in the US and the rest of the world the following month. The album ripped along at a driving pace, thoughtfully interchanging syncopated polyrhythmic grooves, striking melodies, and a passionate approach unheard in heavy music; blurring the lines between hardcore and metal, dodging the gimmicks of both. THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE joined the debut roster of Good Fight Music in 2010 to release their upcoming album.
 
Chris Adler had the following t Read More ...

HOUSECORE RECORDS (HCR) is the definitive collection of Philip H. Anselmo's side projects from past to present, and the advancement and release of projects he believes in creatively.  The idea of HOUSECORE records was first concocted in the early to mid 90's at Philip's earliest address by the lake (AKA Colbert Street) after leaving Texas to return to his hometown of New Orleans, LA.  Philip's house was a primary catalyst for the entire project.
 
HOUSECORE RECORDS is most definitely an outlet for heavy music, but they a have a lot more to offer from their diverse roster of musicians.  This is showcased on the second disc of their HOUSECORE RECORDS compilation which is available now.
 
2008 and 2009 saw the initial releases from HOUSECORE RECORDS including ARSON ANTHEM'S self-titled EP, CHRIST INVERSION'S self-titled LP, VALHALL'S Red Planet and the aforementioned
2-disc HOUSECORE RECORDS COMPILATION, spotlighting some of the other artists on and/or enthused by HOUSECORE RECORDS. 
 
Label head and founder Philip Anselmo commented on HOUSECORE: "HO Read More ...

With a name that equals the spacey sounds it creates, Shapes Stars Make, a trio from Dallas, Texas, has launched it's sonically ambient music into the world with their debut album, "These Mountains Are Safe", an ambitious, yet subtle post-rock experience that some have likened to Sigur Ros, Mono and Radiohead.

Just a few short years ago, guitarist/vocalist Michael Gooden was originally playing standard-issue indie rock with bassist Jon Cook when they decided to branch off in late 2007 into the more trippy, gently, instrumental shoegaze music of Shapes Makes Stars.

As a duo, Shapes Stars Make recorded a self-titled 6-song EP in just six days with producer John Congleton (Appleseed Cast, Explosions in the Sky) in 2008, with Gooden writing and playing all the drum parts. Shortly after that, they began a serious search for a drummer, which they found in Zachary Edwards. "He's really creative," says Gooden. "The other drummers we had gone through, they could play anything, but they couldn't really come up with crazy original beats. And that's something that stood out with Zach when he auditioned Read More ...

Multi-platinum rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars has announced U.S. dates of their Into The Wild world tour starting April 9th at the Pearl Theater in Las Vegas, NV through May 13th at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA (full schedule below).  The Into The Wild tour is the band's first tour in 3 years and is in support of their new album 'This Is War.'  The tour kicked off last week in Nottingham, England where they played to sold out crowd of 10,000 screaming fans.   Thirty Seconds to Mars will continue to play arenas throughout Europe including stops at London's Wembley Arena and the Paris' Bercy stadium.  Mute Math and Neon Trees will open the U.S. leg of Into The Wild. Pre-sale ticket and special fan packages through American Express, I Love All Access and musictoday begin 10am February 24th through 10pm February 26th in most markets, New York and Chicago pre-sale starts Saturday February 27th.  Traditional on sale through Ticketmaster begin February 26th in select markets (complete on sale schedule below). 

"This Is War," the albums' title track and seco Read More ...

It's a bill that fans of horror and hard rock could only dream of until now: Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper sharing the stage for a night of theatrical rock n' roll madness.  For the first time ever, the "gruesome twosome" will play an exclusive limited run of North American tour dates beginning April 26th at the MTS Center in Winnipeg, MB.  Rob Zombie commented, "The dream or the nightmare comes true!  Me and The Coop have been talking about touring together for the last 15 years and finally the moment is here.  This will be without a doubt a Rock 'N' Roll Spooktacular for all the Cool Ghouls."  Alice Cooper added, "I'm looking forward to theses concerts with Rob.  It's sort of like Dracula Vs. Frankenstein.  We're like this generation's classic monsters.  When we're not onstage frightening audiences, we'll be backstage trying to scare each other."
 
Following the dates with Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and longtime bandmates guitarist John 5, bassist Piggy D and drummer Tommy Clufetos will hit the road for an extensive North American trek to co-headline this year's Mayhem Festival ( Read More ...

Most people thought Another Breath had broken up, but those fools thought wrong. The Syracuse-based collective was only getting started! On their latest offering, The God Complex, the group pens their most captivating material yet!  Throughout this 11-track collection, Another Breath provides an array of delectable hard rock rhythms with fierce punk-inspired melodicism and hardcore appeal while spirituality is dissected like a frog in science class. Although other bands tend to express their religious beliefs in their music, vocalist Ted Winksworth goes deeper than most artists as he sings, and screams, about his many different interpretations dating back as far as childhood.

Another Breath has certainly come a long way since their formation back after high school graduation in 2001. They've grown musically and spiritually, and there's nothing too complex about that. In this 101D.com exclusive, Winksworth goes more in-depth about what the band has been up to in the past five years, his relationship with his father and his complex mindset about God.

101D.com: Another Breath hasn't released a studio alb Read More ...

I was recently hired to write the bio for Far's new album At Night We Live. Bios are what label press departments submit to journalists with a copy (or a download link to or a stream) of a band's new album, which answers all the basic questions about the band and album, so that the journalist has background information and history and can formulate their questions for the band, and so that the band doesn't have to answer the same questions and naseum about the record and the recording process. 

Far is one of my favorite bands ever, with their last studio album, 1998's Water & Solutions, being one of my most favorite records of all time. It's desert isle listening. It was completely slept on and criminally underlooked – or was it overlooked? - by the music-purchasing public. That's a bit of a dual-edged sword. Perhaps if more people had been lucky enough to have discovered and loved the band, perhaps their career wouldn't have taken a 12-year break! Or perhaps it would have imploded and they would not have found their way back to one another via a playful cover of an R&B song by Gi Read More ...

Last week, it was announced that Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones had to unexpectedly leave the band's current headlining tour, leading to a flurry of rumors and questions about the status of the tour and the band. The band has further issued the following statement addressing the matter, saying: "It became overwhelmingly obvious to all of us around Howard that he is in no condition to be on tour right now and that he needed to get off the road and get himself better. It's a personal matter and while we understand everyone's curiosity and concern for Howard and the band, we appreciate everyone respecting Howard's privacy at this time."
 
Longtime friend Phil Labonte of All That Remains was able to fill in and help out the band for a few shows and it appears as though he will be filling in for the remainder of the tour, which runs through March. KsE endured and survived a similar situation in the past, where guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz was forced to sit out a tour due to a back injury. KsE also said, "We seriously considered cancelling the tour since we Read More ...

'Chameleon metal' is perhaps the most fitting description for North Carolina's Onward to Olympas, who have just unleashed their debut album, This World Is Not My Home, via Facedown Records. After all, this group - which is comprised of singer Kramer Love, guitarist/singer Justin Gage, guitarist Andrew H, bassist Justin Allman, and drummer Matt Burnside - are hard to pin down to a single metallic subgenre, as elements of hardcore, emo, and good, old fashioned, crunchy metal are all on display throughout. And lest we forget that the group's lyrics are Christian-based, which according to Allman, was not by mistake.
    
"We claim Christianity as individuals and a lot of bands label us as a 'Christian band' because of that. We definitely don't deny the 'Christian band' label. Most bands will talk about whatever they're passionate about, like girls, sex, drugs - whatever. It just so happens that we are passionate about God. So we write our songs, and the majority of them are about God and our daily struggles - it could be everything from relationships with other people and how that's effecting Read More ...

South Bay punk pioneers Pennywise have announced that Zoli Teglas of Orange County's Ignite, is the band's new and permanent lead singer.
                                                                                      
After months of searching, the members of Pennywise announced that Ignite vocalist Zoli Teglas is now officially the new front man. Teglas, a longtime friend and tour mate, recently played a handful of So Cal shows with Pennywise, including the 2009 Smokeout Festival and a sold out Holiday Benefit concert for Amnesty International at Long Beach Arena.
 
Teglas will join Pennywise on its upcoming European tour which kicks off this April. That tour will be preceded by a few warm up West Coast dates that start on March 17 in San Diego, CA. Pennywise is currently at work on a new record, its first featuring the new lineup.
After the sudden departure of former singer Jim Lindberg, a member of Pennywise for 19 years, guitarist Fletcher Dragge called Teglas a "natural choice" to take over vocal duties for the band.

Bassist Randy Bradbury explains, "What Read More ...

BYO Records is proud to announce the return of Punk Rock Bowling, May 6-9, 2010 and the new location at Sunset Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hotel and bowling registration is now available at the newly revamped PunkRockBowling.com site.
 
Punk Rock Bowling, the biggest punk rock party of the year, is once again taking over Sin City. This year's stellar lineup includes Flogging Molly, NOFX, Fucked Up, Swinging Utters, The Revival Tour, Youth Brigade, Cobra Skulls, and Teenage Bottlerocket with many more bands to be announced soon.
 
Featuring an all ages outdoor amphitheatre as well as a 21+ indoor lounge for late night shows, you won't have to work to have a good time. Celebrating the independent music community, this year 850 bowlers are expected to be among 210 participating teams. Made up of industry insiders (bands, agents, managers, fanzines, radio stations, labels, punk rock clothing and merchandise companies), and now, for the first time in the 12 year history, open to the general public, Punk Rock Bowling is one of the largest and most recognized indie music events of Read More ...

img src="http://assets.101distribution.com/build/9.09.01//site/en_101/images/news_assets/Till Colossus1.jpg" style="padding:3px;" title="till">
Every week, 101D.com will highlight a new artist in the exclusive Diamonds In The Rough Series. This week, we proudly present Till. Not only is he a successful actor and model, but a talented indie singer on the rise with a dedicated fan base that will go to great lengths just to touch him - literally.

Background Check: Born in Saginaw, Michigan, and raised in South Louisiana, Till is a bona-fide triple threat in the entertainment world. As an actor, he's been a leading man in numerous theatre productions and he's shared the stage with the likes of Kel Mitchell and Buddy Lewis. As a model, he's sold over 10,000 calendars. It's his work as a singer, though, and what he's accomplished in both Gospel and R&B, that's most impressive. Till's musical experiences include everything from sharing the bill with Bobby Valentino and Joe to recording with Gospel legend Keith Dobbins for an album that also included members of Sounds of Blackness. He's even appeared on BET's Bobby Jones Gospel.

The Goods: Till's latest project is a full length album titled Read More ...

Last week's column regarding the loss of mystique in music really resonated with people. I saw it "retweeted" a few times on Twitter and received a few emails about it from people I didn't forward it to, so that was great to see. Word travels fast. And that was almost the point of the column. 

As I type this column getting ready for the Super Bowl, sad that the football season is truly over, I am wondering how the hell just 30 miles south of where I live in North Jersey, just 11 miles from Manhattan, they got clobbered with 6 inches of snow and just 60 miles south of that, they got blasted with 27 inches of snow. We didn't have flake in NYC, so I guess I should listen to Lewis Black, the comedian, when he says don't listen to the group of assholes who make up the Weather Channel! The point? South Jersey a lot; North Jersey, just a little. It reminded me of a discussion I had on Friday with bassist Alan Robert, of Life of Agony. We were guesting on a podcast together and we were talking about how bands play albums in their entirety now, when these a Read More ...

Formed in Essen, Germany 25 years ago, prodigious German thrash metal band KREATOR celebrates their enduring legacy and prolific future by signing with Nuclear Blast Records!  With an illustrious history spanning 12 studio albums, one live offering, and two classic EPs, KREATOR truly rank among the most celebrated and beloved European thrash metal bands in the worldwide metal scene.
 
Commented KREATOR guitarist / vocalist Mille Petrozza: "We're happy to announce that KREATOR has just signed a new long-term deal with Nuclear Blast!  Based on a friendship with Andy Siry [Head of A&R, Nuclear Blast Germany] that has lasted for decades, we will now finally join forces on a professional level.  Becoming a part of the Nuclear Blast family means a lot to us and together with the world's biggest metal label, WE WILL CONQUER THE FUTURE!" 

Added Andy Siry: "For me, another 'thrash dream' has come true with the signing of Germany's finest and Europe's leading thrash legends KREATOR!!!  I still remember the day when I heard Endless Pain for the first time; I became a huge fan of the band.  I ha Read More ...

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from the Fall Out Boy split, to Jill Scott and Hidden Beach Records heading to court, to Justin Timberlake feeding a man in drag who was dressed as his ex, and since it's Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Despite published reports, and tweets, there was much less of a fall out within Fall Out Boy than many first believed. According to Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump, the group is taking some time off for members to pursue other endeavors, but there's zero animosity between any of them. Wentz was quoted by the AP saying that it's all been "blown out of proportion." Fans should not be expecting a solo project from Wentz, though, as he noted that's never been an aspiration of his. As an aside, how wild is it that a band named after a comic book character from The Simpsons had a shorter run than the cartoon it came from? Yes, I just managed to make this a story about The Simpsons' l Read More ...

Ok. So you meet a new person that just happens to be a "Hip-Hop Head (HHH)", right? You're talking about what's in each other's iPods and all that. The energy is building, the lyrics are spewing, you're adlibbing and the vibe is top of the crust. Eventually, it will happen. Somebody will either make or break the mood by asking, "So who is in your top 5?"

Clearly, we're not talking about a feature in your phone service. We are talking about the most important question that any fan of rap music will have to answer. The weight of your reputation rests on your Top 5 emcees. And you better have a Top 5, because if you don't, nothing that you say about music to this person will ever matter again! 

So I wanted to give a few examples of what your Top 5 emcee's of all-time says about you, since you will be remembered for all eternity because of it. 

1) Your choices will tell your age bracket. I don't know if I could still do it, but I was once able to tell a person's age by the answers given about their favorite artists. For example, people often slip in an artist which they admired (during their teenaged years). And by gauging when that artist was at its best, you could make a good guess at the person's age. 

2) Your Read More ...

Few bands today encapsulate the tireless work ethic that it takes to succeed at all costs putting their livelihood on the line to take that one shot at rockstardom, well the Chicago based SOIL have taken this hard road and it's now starting to pay off tenfold. This quartet is a the definition of pure hard rock fury with a backbone firmly rooted in heavy metal ultimately resulting in a dynamic, propulsive blend of hard driving anthems.  

SOIL's main emphasis focuses on crafting songs with massive hooks and punishing grooves that protrudes an energy that can't be denied. This is most evident with their highly acclaimed latest album, Picture Perfect. The band's latest single, "Lesser Man," is also currently burning up the Active Rock charts lead by solid airplay from such tastemaker stations as WJRR (Orlando), WIIL (Chicago), KXFX (Santa Rosa), WJJO (Madison) and WXQR (Greenville).

However, the live show is where SOIL is at their very best and they are one of the few remaining artists that actually delivers an entertaining show that engages the viewer and leaves you enamored with their musical Read More ...

September 2009 saw the release of SOMETHING TO BURN'S critically acclaimed debut album "Transitions" on Soft Drive Records, the record label founded by Stone Temple Pilots front man Scott Weiland.  After playing a handful of shows last year with Stone Temple Pilots and some successful headlining shows of their own, SOMETHING TO BURN are gearing up to hit the road this spring with Fair to Midland and Karnivool.  The tour starts March 23rd in San Antonio, TX and wraps up August 14th in Denver, CO.

Lead singer Greg Wayne, had the following to say about the upcoming tour: "Imagine a caged tiger...pacing back & forth...aching to get back out into the wild...dying to do what it was put on this earth to do.  Well, SOMETHING TO BURN is that tiger and we are finally being set free this spring.  I'd do everything I could to catch one of these shows if I were you...just sayin"

SOMETHING TO BURN – Norman (guitar), Greg Wayne (front man), and brothers Shawn (drums) and Jeff (bass) Ballard – have emerged from a pool of influences a lot deeper than your ty Read More ...

With the sale of 481,000 copies of their album Lady Antebellum defied all expectations and sold nearly Gold in their first week out in the marketplace with their sophomore album Need You Now. The trio, which came to be known in 2008 thanks to hits like "Lookin' For A Good Time,"  "Love Don't Live Here" and their Grammy winner Sunday night, "I Run To You," have certainly helped raise the profile of Nashville-made music with the music community and together with Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and The Zac Brown Band, they've helped make country music 'safe' for a multitude of audiences.   

Many people have wondered how two guys (Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood) and one girl (Hillary Scott) came to be known as Lady Antebellum and while that story remains a bit of a mystery, the name has helped separate them from the pack by giving them a distinctive memorable name, instead of something that might resemble a law firm, that is much more 'identifiable' outside of the country music world.  The music released by Lady Antebellum (or Lady A as fans call them) certainly has Read More ...

Mystique. You can't fake it. You just have it. But in 2010, mystique is a lost art, when it comes to bands and the music business.

It's the instant information age, where everyone has a MySpace page, a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Social media, coupled with that oh-so-outdated mode of communication, known as text messaging, allows for people to reveal their whereabouts, at all times. I use all the aforementioned modes of communicating and my thumbs ache because of them. I check my social networking sites 10 times a day. I tweet constantly. I text more than I dial out and make calls. I email more than I answer my phone at work. I write better than I talk; that's my excuse. But in all seriousness, while addicted to the fact that I am constantly connected and plugged in, I do sometimes yearn for less accessibility. Jesus Christ, I use UberTwitter to send tweets from my Blackberry and the program can show your exact geographical location via satellite if you don't disable the function! You can update people on your location, your thoughts, your scandalous activities at any time. I often ask myself, "Does anyone need to know what I am doing, 24/7?" Is it too much? Are we all too available? Isn't there something sexy about a little mystery? About having to find somethin Read More ...

Roadrunner Records is pleased to announce the signing of Charleston, South Carolina rock band MADAM ADAM. The band is currently finishing up the recording of their as-yet untitled Roadrunner debut in Nashville, Tennessee, where they are working with producer/mixer Skidd Mills (Saving Abel, Saliva, Skillet, Sick Puppies.) Roadrunner expects to release the album in summer of 2010, and the band will be announcing some Southeast tour dates shortly.

The band - vocalist/guitarist Scott Gould, bassist Kenny Varner, guitarist Drew Reindollar and drummer Matthew Reindollar - has posted webisodes from the studio sessions on their MySpace page, which are viewable here.

Roadrunner Senior VP of A&R Ron Burman commented about the signing, saying, "I'm really excited to be working with Madam Adam. They have really catchy rock songs, the kind that I grew up listening to on rock radio. Madam Adam write songs that stick in your head after one listen, which is rare. The singer, Scott, has a great voice and they are an exceptionally good live band."

"We're grateful for the opportunity to Read More ...

Most teenagers deal with pettiness and disloyalty, but when you're a prodigious rapper, you can draw inspiration of it. Explaining the title of his first mixtape, Everybody Hates Cris, 18-year-old Cris Breeze said, "There's just people around you – you think they've got your back, you think they're supporting you, but they're really not. I felt like I did Everybody Hates Cris by myself. So it was like 'Everybody Hates Chris.'" With a chuckle, he also admits to being a fan of Chris Rock's popular television show of the same name. 

Born in Dayton, Ohio and relocated to Cincinnati, Breeze actually looks to Rap's birthplace for his influences. "Most of my inspiration comes from New York. I love New York rappers. That's where it started. I'm a lyrical rapper. I like punch-lines, metaphors and stuff like that," he says, after pointing to Fabolous and Jadakiss specifically. One lesser known rapper that Cris really admires is the late Big L. The Harlem emcee who worked with Jay-Z and Lord Finesse died when Cris was nine years old. Still, the Ohio hopeful pays close attention one of the masters of witty punchli Read More ...

Punk rock proponents for social justice, Street Dogs, have announced plans to return to the studio in February to record their fifth studio album and follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2008 Hellcat debut State of Grace.  The band will be recording with bassist Johnny Rioux as producer and Rick Barton (original Dropkick Murphys guitarist) co-producing at the infamous punk rock studio the Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado which was built by members of Descendents, All and Black Flag. 

Punk rock runs deep in the veins of Street Dogs, with former Dropkick Murphys singer Mike McColgan's uncompromising lyrics alongside bassist Johnny Rioux, guitarists Marcus Hollar and Tobe Bean III and drummer Paul Rucker's fist pumping street punk anthems.  The band burst onto the scene in 2002 and has released a string of classic albums including 2008's State of Grace, which critics called "a raucous and purposeful working man's ride" (Dallas Morning News) with "the kind of political streak rarely heard since the Clash" (Cleveland Scene). 

After incessant tours around the worl Read More ...

Slayer and Megadeth are thrilled to announce the new, confirmed routing for the American Carnage North American Tour, which will commence with the rescheduled Canadian Carnage East dates in Quebec City on Friday, July 23.  Slayer will then head to Europe for a run of festival dates, returning to kick off the American Carnage leg in Albany, NY on August 11.   American Carnage will play 26 dates across the United States and Eastern Canada up to the Labor Day weekend, ending in Portland, OR on September 4.  Testament will be Special Guest on all shows.  Tickets purchased for the American Carnage shows when they first went on sale late last year will be honored for these rescheduled dates.  Complete information regarding ticket sales can be found at www.slayer.net • www.megadeth.com • www.testamentlegiions.com
 
Due to venue availability and other conflicts, the shows originally scheduled in El Paso, Houston, Nashville, Duluth, and Louisville cannot be rescheduled at this time, and ticket holders may obtain refunds at point of purchase.  However, new cities have been added to the American Carnage Read More ...