Collaboration Of The Week: Outlaws & Outsiders by Cory Marks featuring Ivan Moody, Travis Tritt, and Mick Mars

We only did one of these Collaboration Of The Week posts before and with a new song on the horizon, I figured this was a good time to bring it back. Now, I am not usually a fan of country music. but I have enjoyed some outlaw country rock and just about any kind of country that mixes rock music with it. This week, I am presenting to you brand new music from country artist Cory Marks who collaborated with country legend Travis Tritt, Five Finger Death Punch’s Ivan Moody (whose no stranger to country, check out FFDP’s cover of Blue On Black), and Motley Crue’s Mick Mars for Outlaws & Outsiders. It might sound like the strangest collaboration for a country artist or even the other guys involved, but when you listen to it, it just makes sense. It has the foot stomping country twang to it during the verses and the louder than hell rock sound attached to it that just blends so perfectly to create some modern day Southern Rock. Five Finger Death Punch is apparently working on new music while Mick Mars is going to be a busy man with the Motley Crue reunion and his solo album that he says he will not release until he is satisfied with it. While you wait for those, check out Outlaws & Outsiders below:

Album Of The Week: Disobey by Bad Wolves

When I decided to have the category “Rookie Of The Year” in this years Monster Entertainment Awards, I was trying to leave supergroups out of the category because usually they don’t last especially if guys are still in their other projects. Something though seemed a little different about Bad Wolves because they were being marketed much like Five Finger Death Punch, a band of guys who had been in the industry that were banking on themselves. So in the long run, Bad Wolves proved to be a formidable band and they took home the award for their album Disobey. The band which features Tommy Vext (Vocals, Ex-Divine Heresy), Doc Coyle (L. Guitar, Ex-God Forbid), Chris Cain (R. Guitar, Ex-Bury Your Dead), Kyle Konkiel (Bass, Ex- In This Moment), and John Boecklin (Drums, Ex-Devildriver) released their first album on May 11, 2018 and it was produced by Boecklin and Vext alongside Mark Lewis, Wzrdbld, and Philip Naslund while it featured cover art by Five Finger Death Punch’s Zoltan Bathory. The album was a big success for the band as it peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Top 200 Charts as well as number four on the US Top Rock Albums chart.

1. Officer Down– an intense in your face opening track that talks all about police brutality and it definitely reflects on the times with the social climate on police brutality. 4.5/5

2. Learn To Live– The band has a Slipknot like intensity to this track and it’s no surprise with the caliber of the guys in the band. The track is all about people struggle every day with just life itself, but if you want to survive you better learn how to live. 4.5/5

3. No Masters– This may be one of my favorite tracks on the album because it’s a bad ass riff that has that metal swagger to it in this song that is all about going against the grain and let no man control you. 5/5

4. Zombie– The band was originally supposed to have Cranberries vocalist Dolores O’Riordan do the song with the band as a duet, but unfortunately she passed away before they could and the band finished recording the cover in tribute to her. The song was also voted cover song of the year in this years Monster Entertainment Awards. 5/5

5. Run for Your Life– a track with a little more of a commercial feel to it that is all about someone who realizes that they lived as slaves to the grind and now it’s time to escape before it’s too late. 4.5/5

6. Remember When-a more melodic track from the band that is all about reflecting on the past and saying to yourself if you only knew… 4.5/5

7. Better The Devil– Tommy flexes his more melodic singing ability on this track and combines it with the intensity of his vocals on the chorus in this very Nu-Metal like track in this track that I think gives awareness to suicide. 4.5/5

8. Jesus Slaves-a pretty cool track that I believe is talking about Werewolves and that once you’ve been turned into one not even Jesus can save you. 4.5/5

9. Hear Me Now– a very commercial track that is featuring DIAMANTE who sings vocals on the track in the same style that Linkin Park had Kiiara for Heavy and Papa Roach had Skylar Grey for Periscope. It’s not a bad track by any means, but there’s a trend here. 4.5/5

10. Truth Or Dare– The band stays melodic for this track that is all about being daring because life is just a game anyways. 4/5

11. The Conversation– Another track on the album that is looking to be socially aware as it questions the way we’ve been living and that as Americans, we need to start questioning the establishment more. 4.5/5

12. Shape Shifter– I am not a fan of the guitar riff on this track, but the rhythm section definitely helps carry this tune that is all about a woman who is more than men can handle. 4/5

13. Toast To The Ghost– This was the first single released off of the album and it has a build up that leads to an in your face track that is all about how we forget all those that fought and died for our freedom and the very belief of it. 5/5

My Final Thoughts– The album has a theme behind as almost every track touches on the idea of not being controlled or freedom and while the music touches upon the best elements of Slipknot, Nu-Metal, and some FFDP, I can see these guys having a future. My favorite track on the album is No Master, that is a song that I would love to hear live. My least favorite track is Shape Shifter just cause I’m not a fan of the guitar riff. I am going to give the album 4.5 stars out of five for a final grade.

R.I.P. Vinnie Paul

Update 6/24/2018 8:19PM ET: Sources are reporting that someone close to the Abbott family are telling TMZ that Vinnie died from a Major heart Attack. Loudwire reached out to his management and this is the statement they released:

We have no knowledge of who spoke with TMZ.
Whoever spoke to them did so on their own and not
based on any factual information or authorization
from Vinnie’s family or Pantera management.

Our official statement remains:
Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul passed away on Friday, June 22.
Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands
Pantera and Hellyeah.
No further details are currently available.
When they are, an updated official statement will be released.
The family requests you please respect their privacy during this time.
Thank you for your query.

 

I am still not quite sure what words I need to say to express the utter shock that the rock/metal world and I are in after the news broke of the passing of Former Pantera/Damageplan/Heallyeah drummer Vinnie Paul. At first, I had to do a search online to find out if this was one of those fake articles that are always posted on Facebook when it says a celebrity has died. CNN, the new site confirmed for me that Vinnie Paul born Vincent Paul Abbott died at the age of 54 years old. We still at this time do not know what the cause of death is, but what we do know is that he is finally reunited with his brother Dimebag Darrell. Vinnie along with his brother Dimebag were the co-founders of the groove metal band Pantera who dominated the metal scene with the release of Cowboys From Hell in 1990 and they continued to dominate with albums like Vulgar Display Of Power and Far Beyond Driven until the band broke up in 2002. They went on to start a new band in Damageplan releasing their only album in 2004 entitled New Found Power and toured with the act until the death of his brother in December of 2004.

Vinnie had taken some time off from the music scene releasing the home video collection Dimevision, Vol. 1 in 2006 as well as a never before heard collaboration album with Country music legend David Allen Coe entitled Rebel Meets Rebel. He didn’t get back in the studio until 2007 when he officially became a member of the supergroup Hellyeah which featured Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett of Mudvayne, Tom Maxwell of Nothingface, and Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla to record the self titled debut album. Together the band would release five albums with the latest Unden!able coming out in 2016. It is said that Vinnie has laid down drum tracks for an upcoming album, but it is not known yet what will become of that album as of this time. The band however has released a statement with Tom Maxwell saying, “Just so broken hearted and in shock. I’m struggling to write this but we want to thank you all for your kind words and support in this tragic time. We don’t have much info to give you other then Vinnie is now with Dime and they are together in a better place. Sadness, shock, confusion, anger, despair. We feel it all together. Hug your loved ones and keep them close. Thank you all again for all your love. Vinnie will be and is greatly loved and missed but his music will live forever. Crank it loud today and scream to the heavens so he can hear you.” Fellow musicians and other celebrities have come out to pay tribute to one of the greatest drummers of the modern era. There is a lot more tributes online and on Twitter, but the ones below are just some of them. R.I.P. Vinnie Paul (1964-2018)

 

 

Cover Of The Week: Gone Away by Five Finger Death Punch

One of the cool things about cover songs is sometimes hearing a track that you never thought would ever be covered by a particular artist. Five Finger Death Punch seems to be one of those artists that just seems to take songs that you wouldn’t think they’d cover and they a masterful job with it. In 2009, the band covered Bad Company by the band Bad Company on War Is The Answer and it was absolutely awesome. In 2013, the band covered the LL Cool J classic Mama Said Knock You Out on their album The Wrong Side Of Heaven and The Righteous Side Of Hell, Vol. 1. Now the band is back and despite all of the issues, they have a new cover for all of you. The band has a new album coming out which happens to be a greatest hits compilation entitled A Decade of Destruction that features the band covering The Offspring’s Ixnay On The Hombre classic Gone Away. The original had a dialed back energy until the chorus hit and the intensity was let loose, but things are a little different with this one. The band is able to take the track and they transform it to fit their needs and their style. Check it out for yourselves below and pick up A Decade Of Destruction as it is out now.

Music Video Of The Week: I Apologize by Five Finger Death Punch

There have been a whole slew of music videos released that have caught my attention this week and the brand new music video from Five Finger Death Punch certainly got my attention. The band who are still touring for their latest album Got Your Six  have recently released a video for their latest single off the album called I Apologize. The video was directed by Nathan Cox and is a very interesting one. During the video, singer Ivan Moody is walking through a cemetery that with each headstone he walks by reveals a name of a legendary rocker and some that have recently passed like Lemmy Kilmister, Scott Weiland, and legends like Layne Staley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, etc. Eventually, he stops and he starts digging only to reveal that it’s his grave that he is digging. It’s a cool concept for the video and I can certainly dig it (no pun intended). The band talked about the video saying, “The video is a dark somber metaphor that speaks for itself. I don’t think we need a parallel narrative to explain it or emphasize its impact as almost everyone knows someone struggling with some form of addiction. It’s real for everybody. We have even been losing exceptionally bright, talented people who you’d assume know better. No matter how much support you provide, ultimately it’s everyone’s own decision to face their demons or perish.” Check it out below:

 

Unsigned Band Of The Week: Titans In Time

For this week’s Unsigned Band Of The Week, we are leaving the sunny beaches of California and we are heading back east to the home of the rock and roll hall of fame in Cleveland, Ohio for the band Titans In Time. I love the band’s description that they have on their Facebook page which reads as, “For centuries, many have been captivated with myths of the Greek titans. Commanding and powerful, their stories have set the ideal standard for dominance. However, the Greeks are not the only ones with their set of titans. In Cleveland, Ohio, a new group of titans are emerging and are equally as dominating.” The track I chose for you guys from the band comes from their latest EP Vulcan and the song is called Over And Over. The band has a wide range of influences and it’s clear when you hear the track because you can hear elements ranging from FFDP to Breaking Benjamin in their music. This is truly a band to be reckoned with and you should check them out. You can follow them on Facebook page here or just check out their website here. 

Unsigned Band Of The Week: All For Blood

For this week’s Unsigned Band Of The Week, we left Tennessee and we headed back to the Northeast for our next band. I discovered this week’s band after looking at a flyer for the The Providence Tattoo & Music Fest 2 show at the Fete Music Hall which features bands like Revocation, Bloodline Theory (Unsigned band alum), Dead By Wednesday, and this week’s Unsigned band Of the week All For Blood. All For Blood hail from Johnston, Rhode Island and the band is as fierce as their name and I mean that because some bands have a cool name and they don’t live up to it. I chose the band’s track Breach which comes off of their War EP and the best way to describe the track is that it is the right kind of heavy. The band’s sound has a little bit of thrash, Throwdown, Five Finger Death Punch fierceness, and the right amount of whoop ass to please any metal die hard. Check out the band on Facebook by clicking here and check out the mayhem below:

 

Rock And Metal News: Metal Tops The Charts Again

There was a time when Metal dominated the charts all the time so it saddens me to see the world we live in now where so many bands struggle. Although there are those moments when I get very excited at the news of metal bands topping the charts like Motorhead’s Bad Magic debuting at number 35 on the Billboard Top 200 charts last week or Disturbed’s Immortalized debuting at number some weeks back. This week brings more good news for the metal world as two new albums will debut on the charts. Last Friday saw the releases of Five Finger Death Punch’s sixth studio album Got Your Six and Iron Maiden’s epic sixteenth studio album The Book Of Souls. Well, the good news is that both of those albums will debut in the top 5 on the Billboard Top 200 charts with Iron Maiden coming in fourth and Five Finger Death Punch in second. According to Loudwire.com, this is how the charts are measured, “Billboard has a new system in place to determine chart position. In addition to pure album sales, the publication also factors in track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums.” So, even though FFDP’s new album finished in 2ND behind The Weeknd’s record, it outsold the Weeknd when it came to Pure Album Sales. For FFDP, this is their third consecutive number 2 finish with their last two records (both volumes of Wrong Side of Heaven) while this is Iron Maiden’s second consecutive fourth place finish as 2010’s The Final Frontier did the same. Just a little fun fact for you Maiden fans out there, this is the highest selling album for Maiden in the first week of release in the US since the return of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith came back in 1999. Congratulations to both bands and to Metal especially as we all rejoice.

Album Of The Week: Got Your Six by Five Finger Death Punch

I always love it when bands premiere their albums a little early of their release dates because it gives you the fan a chance to listen to the record. You essentially get to test it out before you buy it and that sounds like one heck of a deal to me. Five Finger Death Punch did just that with their upcoming sixth record Got Your Six which comes out everywhere September 4TH via Prospect Park. The band which is made up of Ivan Moody (Vocals), Zoltan Bathory (R. Guitars), Jason Hook (Guitars), Chris Kael (Bass), and Jeremy Spencer (Drums) may have had a little care not too long ago, but they are ready to roll. Jeremy Spencer commented on the album saying, “I’m digging it, man. It’s actually more brutal, with more extreme dynamics. There are some really mellow parts and then some really brutal parts. So we’re running the whole gamut of sounds.” The album is the band’s follow up to both volumes of The Wrong Side Of Heaven and The Righteous Side Of Hell. The band premiered their new record a week early of it’s release on Pandora Radio and yours truly checked out the new record.

1.  Got Your Six– Starts off light before the band drops the hammer for a real hellraiser about having someone’s back. 4/5

2. Jekyll & Hyde– The beginning has a real Faith No More feel to it because of the vocals, but that is because Jason Hook took a voice mail that Ivan left him at 2:30AM and turned it into a song. 4.5/5

3. Wash It All Away– A real melodic track in the beginning with a very cool groove about the troubles of fame. 4/5

4. Ain’t My Last Dance– A real hard charging track with a cool groove that is about putting in all the effort with none in return. 4/5

5. My Nemesis– A slowered tempo track that still crushes about not hiding your bad side. 4.5/5

6. No Sudden Movement– A track whose heaviness builds up like a frieght train going a 1000 in the beginning. 4/5

7. Question Everything– The track has a melodic intro, but it bursts into overdrive. The really cool part about this song is the acoustic/flamenco style solo that you get which is a little different and awesome. 5/5

8. Hell To Pay– Sledgehammer like riffs makes this track an absolute headbanger. 4.5/5

9. Digging My Own Grave– A real melodic intro with drum machines, but never fear because the tempo gets turned up during the choruses. 4/5

10. Meet My Maker– Another groove laden track that is absolutely hammering. 4/5

11. Boots And Blood– This is the last track on the album and it’s pretty heavy. Ivan during the verses does more talking than singing as he is tell everyone off.

My Final Thoughts: Ivan Moody says this right on the band’s website, “If someone asked me to sum up who and what Five Finger Death Punch is, I would tell them everything they need to know is on this new record. Hands down, “Got Your Six” is our best one yet.” I really believe the band has been tearing up the scene, but do I think this is their best work yet? I’m not 100% positive about that right now because there are other albums from the band that I enjoy. I truly believe that the band absolutely tears it up on this record and it shows on every track. I am giving the record 4 stars out of five for a final grade. Check it out as it comes out this Friday (September 4TH).

Rock And Metal News 5/19/2015

Phil Anselmo is back in the news again, but this time it’s due to his admirable work ethic as the singer is busier than he ever has been before. In an interview with Spooky Empire, the singer revealed some cool news for fans of his music and the film fest he puts on every year. Despite the fact that Housecore Horror Fest co-founder Corey Mitchell passed away last year, Anselmo said the fest will continue in November saying, “Corey was a passionate, unbelievably hard working man — a very, very, very, very, very good friend … This year, we’re dedicating the whole thing to Corey. Rest in peace.” Then he spoke about his upcoming music projects saying, “Been writing new Superjoint [Ritual]. Been writing new [Philip Anselmo and the] Illegals, been writing, well actually I’m in a secret death metal project with some secret other guys across the equator. It’s called Metroton Nganga and it’s cute, it really is.” According to Loudwire, he has also been working on material as the website reports, “Anselmo also revealed he’s been working on some acoustic music as well and has been behind the boards producing a new band called Child Bite that he describes as not really a metal band, but more in the vein of “Black Flag meets Jesus Lizards meets Dead Kennedys meets the Midwest.” And he’s also recently welcomed actor/musician Bill Moseley for sessions at his Nodferatu’s Lair studio. During the period, they wrote four songs together.” Stay tuned here for more info as it becomes available and check out the website for the Horror fest here and to watch the full interview go here.

Ever wonder what supergroups never saw the light of day considering we live in a society where bands are doing it constantly. Well, Marilyn Manson and Billy Corgan revealed a very weird supergroup during a press conference they held for their upcoming tour and it was thought up during a feeling they had while taking muscle relaxers. Manson says, “The band was going to be called Fruity at the time, because we thought that the pills made us feel fruity, that was it. I don’t really know what that meant, at the time. I don’t know if it was more of an in the moment situation, or if it was the surroundings.” Billy Corgan then spilled the beans on who was in it, “I think there was a fantasy of what it would mean to have a band together, and then everyone we would meet would be in the band. Like Flavor Flav was in the band, [porn star] Jenna Jameson was in the band, but then it never happened.” There’s a lot more stuff revealed in the press conference that you can here by going here.

Now that summer is around the corner, the tours are popping up everywhere and we have one that you may want to see if you are lucky enough to be living in an area that it’s stopping at. Coal Chamber after releasing their new album Rivals has announced a summer trek with Fear Factory with Saint Ridley and Madlife serving as the openers for the whole tour. Jasta and The Devil You Know have both signed on for select dates. “Coal Chamber is coming to the USA for another killer tour, this time bringing along some great friends Fear Factory who have a new record coming and my good buddy Jasta with his solo project! Get ready and get your tickets because this tour is gonna sell out and be a good time,” says Coal Chamber frontman Dez Fafara. Check out the tour dates below to see if it’s heading to a city near you.

Coal Chamber / Fear Factory / Devil You Know / Saint Ridley / Madlife Dates

7/24 — Tucson, Ariz. — Rialto Theater
7/25 — Albuquerque, N.M. — Sunshine Theater
7/26 — El Paso, Texas — Tricky Falls
8/15 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Underground Arts
8/16 — Cleveland, Ohio — Agora Theater
8/18 — Lincoln, Neb. — Bourbon Theater
8/19 — Denver, Colo. — Summit Music Hall
8/20 — Salt Lake City, Utah — Complex
8/21 — Las Vegas, Nev. — Brooklyn Bowl
8/22 — Santa Ana, Calif. — Observatory

Coal Chamber / Fear Factory / Jasta / Saint Ridley / Madlife Dates

7/28 — San Antonio, Texas — Alamo City Music Hall
7/29 — Dallas, Texas — Gas Monkey Live
7/30 — Lawrence, Kan. — Granada
7/31 — Sauget, Ill. — Pop’s
8/1 — Cincinnati, Ohio — Bogart’s
8/2 — Chattanooga, Tenn. — Track 29
8/3 — Asheville, N.C. — Orange Peel
8/4 — Columbia, S.C. — Music Farm
8/6 — Chicago, Ill. — Concord Music Hall
8/8 — Rochester, N.Y. — Water Street Music Hall
8/10 — London, Ontario — London Music Hall
8/11 — New York, N.Y. — Irving Plaza
8/12 — Poughkeepsie, N.Y. — The Chance

While we are on the subject of tours, we have another tour announcement for all of you since you all voted. I posted in another article an opportunity for all fans of Papa Roach and Five Finger Death Punch to vote for where the bands would head to while on their fall trek. You have spoke, the bands listened and the tour itinerary has been revealed. Over 1.5 million people voted and the tour starts on September 4TH in Kentucky and wraps up on October 9TH in New York. Here is what Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory had to say about the tour, “This tour is shaping up to be the perfect storm. We are really good friends with Papa Roach so for years we’ve been talking about touring together and it’s finally coming together in a big way. Both 5FDP and Papa Roach are bands of the people — our fans are who propelled us to success. So what better way than to give the fans ownership in the tour? In the world of Wikipedia and Kickstarter where crowd funding and crowd sourcing has become the standard of community effort and the new way of making things happen this might quite possibly be the future of touring — you simply ask the fans where they want you to go.” Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix added, “We are super excited to be sharing the stage on this co-headliner with FFDP. This will give Papa Roach the chance to put on the best, most epic live show to date. Our fans are going to be so stoked for these shows coming up. We seriously can’t wait to get out on the road for this tour.” The other bands on the tour are In This Moment and From Ashes To New. Check out the tour dates below:

Five Finger Death Punch / Papa Roach / In This Moment / From Ashes to New Tour Dates

9/4 — Lexington, Ky. — Rupp Arena
9/5 — Cincinnati, Ohio — U.S. Bank Arena
9/8 — Mankato, Minn. — Verizon Wireless Center
9/11 — Missoula, Mont. — Adams Event Center
9/12 — Everett, Wash. — Xfinity Center
9/13 — Spokane, Wash. — Spokane Arena
9/15 — Eugene, Ore. — Matthew Knight Arena
9/16 — Reno, Nev. — Lawlor Event Center
9/18 — Ontario, Calif. — Citizens Business Bank Arena
9/19 — Las Vegas, Nev. — The Joint
9/20 — Salt Lake City, Utah — Maverik Center
9/22 — Colorado Springs, Colo. — Broadmoor World Arena
9/25 — La Crosse, Wis. — La Crosse Center
9/29 — St. Charles, Mo. — Family Arena
9/30 — Indianapolis, Ind. — Indiana Farmers Coliseum
10/2 — Cedar Rapids, Iowa — U.S. Cellular Center
10/3 — Toledo, Ohio — Huntington Center
10/4 — Cleveland, Ohio — Jacobs Pavilion
10/6 — Lowell, Mass. — Tsongas Center
10/8 — Uncasville, Ct. — Mohegan Sun Arena
10/9 — Glen Falls, N.Y. — Glen Falls Civic Center

In sad news, Lazarus AD drummer Ryan Shutler has passed away at the age of 28. Reports have not been made official as of yet, but they said that he may have passed away from a heart attack this past Sunday (May 17). He was a part of the band since they started in 2005 and he was a part of two albums that were released by Metal Blade Records in 2009’s The Onslaught and 2011’s Black Rivers Flow. R.I.P. Ryan Shutler.