Rock Single Of The Week: All the Broken Things by MGT

Some of you out there may know who MGT is and some of you may not know who they are. Last year, the band which is made up of namesake and former The Mission guitarist Mark Gemini Thwaite, The Awakening’s Ashton Nyte, and Killing Joke’s Paul Ferguson on drums recorded a cover of ABBA’s Knowing Me Knowing You with Ville Valo of HIM. Now the supergroup of sorts is back with a new album Gemini Nyte and they have a brand new song for us to hear in All The Broken Things. Together, the band brings back the hay days of Goth Rock/darkwave with the brand new track intact with all the cool guitar licks and the driving bass riffs. Mark talks about the track saying, “All the Broken Things’ was one of the first songs that Ashton and I wrote after our initial collaborations on the MGT debut album Volumes in 2015 and we knew it should be the first single from our new album when we performed it live on tour this summer and saw how well it was received. Strident and commanding, it’s a real statement of intent and indicator of the heavier vibe of the new album. It was also an honor to get one of our favorite drummers, Paul Ferguson of Killing Joke, to play on the songs — he totally rocks it. Any fans of our work together on the last album will love this new record.” Check out the track below:

Cover Of The Week: Knowing Me Knowing You by MGT & Ville Valo

There are covers that come out that make you stop everything you are doing and decide to have two covers of the week this week. So, this is the second cover of the week and it’s an epic cover song. Mark Gemini Thwaite is a guitarist who has worked with so many musicians that his resume is very impressive. Well, Mark Gemini Thwaite decided to team up with Ville Valo of HIM for a very unusual cover choice in ABBA’s Knowing Me Knowing You. I have a parent that was into Disco and ABBA and so this was my favorite ABBA song out of their catalog. So, when I saw that Ville Valo was covering the song, I was instantly curious as to how it was going to turn out and let me just say that it’s amazing. The song was covered by the artists for MGT’s new album Volumes which is expected out by the end of June. Mark does an amazing job of updating the tracks sound, but maintaining the elements of the original that made it great. Ville Valo is just Ville Valo which means that he is amazing. This is what covering a song is all about, it’s about taking a track and making it your ow which is what these two did with this song. Check it out below:

Cover Of The Week: I (Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight by Dommin

There are a lot of bands that come and go through the music scene very quickly due to a certain sound becoming the flavor of the week. In the late 2000’s/early 2010’s, the Goth scene was huge thanks to the band HIM making the genre very popular and with that came the signing of tons of bands like them. Then comes the band Dommin, who were signed to Roadrunner Records and released the album Love Is Gone in 2010. It was an album that featured the hit My Heart, Your Hands, Tonight, and our featured cover song for today I (Just) Died In Your Arms which was originally done by the Cutting Crew. The original track was always one of my guilty pleasures of the 80’s and I always wondered if anyone was going to cover the song. Sure enough, I hear the version by Dommin which is a little darker than the original with the Goth rock flare to it. It really is an amazing cover and fun to sing along to as well as the fact that Kristofer Dommin does an amazing job vocally too. The band is gone because according to one site, they are planning to release an album this year. So, check out the song below and visit the band’s website for more information.

Cover Of The Week: Refugee by Vains Of Jenna

At one time, it seemed like MTV Jackass, Viva La Bam star Bam Margera almost had a thing where bands he discovered from Europe were making a name for themselves here in the states. Let’s see, there was Him which gained fame from the CKY home videos, there was the 69 Eyes, and then there’s the band which is the subject of today’s cover of the week post Vains Of Jenna. In 2007, I saw Vains Of Jenna open up for Poison and Ratt on that summer tour and I was blown away by the band’s energy and a cover the band performed that day. During the live show, the band covered the classic Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers song Refugee. I thought it was awesome and I remember hoping that the band would release the cover one day and they did. The track was produced by Brent Woods who was apart of the most underrated band in LA called Wildside and it was released on their The Art Of Telling Lies record in 2009. The track is heavier than the original and it possess a little more of that wild energy that Vains Of Jenna were known for. It’s definitely one of my favorite covers and a reason why I chose it for today. If you are going to cover a song, make it your own while still staying true to the original. The point of covering a song is to make it your own like your own interpretation. Unfortunately, Vains Of Jenna disbanded back in 2012, but we still have the music to enjoy which you can check out below:

Single Of The Week: The Last Of Us by Moonspell

For a very long time, Moonspell was a band that I was very proud of as they were the only Portuguese metal band I had ever heard of at the time. The gothic metal legends have been slaying the metal world since 1995’s Wolfheart and now they are gearing up to release their 11TH full length record Extinct via Napalm Records on March 15TH. The band may be getting criticized a little over the change in their sound, but 2012’s Alpha Noir/Omega White was a break through record for the band. I have always been one that embraces change in the evolution of a band and I always grow as my favorites grow. So, what I have for you is the goth-tastic single The Last Of Us for the single of the week which has a driving force behind it and reminds me a little of HIM/Type O Negative and other great gothic metal bands. I do have to say that if you’re really into this style of metal, then you may enjoy Fernando Ribeiro because I think he is pretty amazing. The band has some really cool presale packages right now that if you want to check out you can do so here. Also there is another single that the band has unleashed that I wasn’t able to secure for here, but you can check that out here and it also features an interview with Fernando on the new record.

Rock, Metal, and Film News 1/31/2015

I’m combining the Rock And Metal post with Film News because why create two separate articles when you can do it once and get it over with. The first piece of news of the day is that Stacey Blades formerly of 80’s rock group LA Guns has started another band in the Las Vegas area. The band is called Atomic Radio and they are a classic rock cover band that according to their Facebook page, “The band plays a raucous set of classic rock spanning from the mid 7-’s to early 80’s performing hits and guilty pleasures from such artists as Aerosmith, Whitesnake, Scorpions, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, The Cars, Def Leppard, and more! Their stage persona and look, mixed with a great choice of radio hits and big album tracks, sets them apart from your typical classic rock cover bands.” The band also features former Candlebox bassist Adam Kury, Johnny Rude (Drums), Jeff C. Outlaw (Guitars/Keyboards), and Michael O’Mara (Vocals). If you want more information on the band, check out their Facebook page here. You can also check out the song Flame on Reverb nation here.

Sony Pictures and director Paul Feig have announced the all female cast of the new Ghostbusters film that they planned to make. While they are still under negotiations, they plane to hire Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Melissa McCarthy (The Heat), Kate McKinnon (SNL/Life Partners), and Leslie Jones (SNL/House Arrest) which obviously shows you that it’s an SNL heavy cast.  Ivan Reitman is producing an apparently according to some on the internet, Bill Murray is not attached to the project at this time and he may never be. Obviously while they work out the contract negotiations, many will wonder what roles each person will take in the film, but I can imagine Melissa McCarthy playing the Bill Murray character of Dr. Peter Venkman more than any other person named above. So, stay tuned here for more information as it becomes available to us.

In other reboot news and one that I cannot understand for the life of me, but Indiana Jones is going to get the reboot treatment after Disney purchased the rights to the franchise. Apparently, there is a rumor that Guardians Of The Galaxy and the new Jurassic Park star Chris Parks is being rumored to play Indiana Jones in the reboot. While we are not sure if the rumor is true, Deadline is reporting that they are eyeing him for the role and why not? I enjoyed Chris Parks in Guardians Of The Galaxy and The Lego Movie because they were all original ideas. I don’t understand why studios feel the need to reboot films that still stand the test of time. Are you telling me that there are no original ideas left in the world and it’s not like Disney needs it with all the planned films in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). I guess we’ll have to wait to find out more on this.

Finnish Love Metal giants Him announced that they are parting ways with longtime drummer Gas Lipstick after being in the band for 16 long years. Gas has admitted to the media that his heart wasn’t 100% in the band anymore, but the man had to overcome a lot just to get back in. He suffered nerve damage in his hands and arms that took a year of rehab before he could lay down drum tracks for Tears On Tape. It would also see him climb back on the road with the band before stopping at the end of 2014. He released a statement via Facebook and we have it for you here:

FINAL WORDS
With a heavy heart I’m announcing my departure from HIM, a magnificent band that I’ve been part of for the past 16 magical years. It has been a journey that I will remember for the rest of my life. There is no drama, bad blood or any negativity involved in my departure.
I simply feel that it’s time for me to move on as a musician.
I have noticed during the final stages of our last tour that my heart was not in it 100% anymore.
I’ve always been a guy who played every note straight from my heart and I feel the music very strongly while I perform. 
If my heart feels that it’s time to let it go, then I have to listen because otherwise it wouldn’t be right towards myself, the rest of the band or you wonderful fans. 
It would end up being a forced effort and I can’t perform or create like that.
Another thing that I’ve recently started to miss is songwriting. I’ve always been a songwriter. I didn’t feel the need to write after I joined the band in 1999 and noticed that Ville is a tremendous songwriter. In my mind he has never brought a single half assed song to the practice room. Every song was top notch and I felt that I didn’t have the need to stir the mix. All of his songs were amazing as he presented them. But last fall I’ve started to feel that I’m missing writing again and that I would like to pursue my own musical interests. I started to miss the feeling of being in a band, where I could be one of the songwriters again.
Three years ago, I had a very heavy year with my arm problems and it took a toll on me. 
It took me 9 stressful months to get back into playing shape, but after recording the “Tears On Tape” record and performing 100 + live shows following the release of that record, I can safely say that I’m back 100% physically and mentally. Those 9 stressful months were one of the toughest periods I have ever experienced throughout my career and adding everything mentioned above, I feel that I need a change in life. I need a fresh start.
I have nothing but great words to say about my brothers: Ville, Mige, Burton, and Linde, our touring crew Viltsu, Antti, Manne, Sean, Brad and our management Seppo, Taina and Vuokko. I wish them nothing but a great success in the future! They are all amazing people and it has been a pleasure working with them all of these years. 
I’d like to as well thank all the record company people, promoters, past crew members, producers and engineers that I’ve had the privilege to get to know and work with. You rock BIG TIME!
And for the last but not the least important I’d like to thank all of you fabulous fans. Thank you for your never ending support and love. HIM has the best fans in the world! 
Without you, nothing would’ve been possible.
I hope that our paths will cross again eventually and you can count on that I’m going to keep you posted about my future endeavours in the crazy world of Musicland. Stay tuned!
Cheers, Gas Lipstick.

Him responded to the post as they linked off of it saying, “And now for something completely different: Drummer Gas Lipstick has left HIM after 16 years, saying “It’s time for me to move on as a musician”. Shell-shocked yet determined, HIM are currently investigating different ways to imitate the sound of drums with machines.”

On some really exciting news, Australian Rockers Airbourne are no longer with Roadrunner Records for whom they released their first three albums through and the band has now signed to Spinefarm Records. The band also announced that they were working on their fourth album with a little inspiration from some Kentucky Bourbon and Cola. Check out the photo on their Facebook page here. The band spoke about signing to Spinefarm saying, “We’re pumped up to have signed on the dotted line to the world’s toughest and truest hard rock label, Spinefarm. We have worked with some of the guys on this team in the past, and we’re extremely confident about having each other’s back in the trenches for many hard rockin’ years to come. We’re chompin’ at the bit to get ROCKIN’ and KICKIN’ ARSE in 2015 and beyond.” I’m super exicted for this piece of news as I am a huge fan of Airbourne.

Future User is a weird band that I am having trouble explaining what their sound is, but it’s a combination of electronic sounds with rock, but I don’t think that matters much. I say that because the band has made a name for themselves by disguising their identities and taking shots at issues in America through their music videos. The band took a shot at Waterboarding with special guest John McEnroe in the video for Clockwork, Farming Horrors in Medication Nation, and now they are taking a shot at athletes who have been caught for doping like Lance Armstrong in the video for Mountain Lion through their masked character SWIM. The band did however reveal their identities and the band is made up of former Rage Against The Machine bassist Tom Commerford and guitarist Jordan Tarlow. Tim described the video and inspirations saying, “At the end of the day, the message that we’re trying to get across with this journey that this guy who we call ‘S.W.I.M.’ who is sort of our superhero that we have, that ties everything together. He’s on a journey. It’s entertaining, hopefully, and at the end of the video the real message comes to light. And that is, don’t be distracted by doping in sports and don’t think that doping in sports is actually important enough for presidents to talk about. It’s really not. What’s really important is something like heroin. We’re over there in Afghanistan funding drug lords to grow poppies and now heroin is on the rise here in America on the highest level ever killing people here, incarcerating people here. To me, that’s a real issue.” Everyone remembers Tim for the stunt he pulled at the MTV music video awards some years back, but if you want to check out the video for the song, click here.

Who says that love doesn’t happen at metal concerts? Well, a man recently proposed to his girlfriend at a Napalm Death concert on January 27TH when the band was performing at Grand Central in Miami, Florida. Rumor has it that he proposed in between the songs Scum and You Suffer, but Barney Greenway eventually looked at the man and called him out on stage. The man turned to the crowd and said, “I’ll keep this short and sweet. A couple of years ago, this really amazing girl and I made it official here at a Napalm Death show.” He of course would then turn his attention to his girlfriend as he said, “It’s been the happiest I’ve ever been, we’ve moved in together and I dearly love you. Considering we’re at a Napalm Death show, I figured this would be the right time to bring this up, to embarrass you a little bit considering this is our version of a romantic evening together. Now I’m going to ask you, Alexa, will you marry me?” Barney would grab the mic after some congratulations were said and he offered his opinion on it saying, “Well, how do you follow that? Well, the official line is to say that the traditional institute of marriage is a f—ing sham, after all, but good luck to them all the same. As long as you’re doing it for yourselves, that’s all that f—ing matters in my mind.” This gives me hope when something like this can happen at a metal show and all I have to say is good luck to them. To check out the video of it, just click here.

Apparently, the other day while in Death Valley, California Geezer Butler was arrested for misdemeanor assault charges, with public intoxication and vandalism after a fight broke out at The Corkscrew Saloon. Here is what the arrest record reads as, “Shortly after midnight on January 27th Sheriff’s Dispatch received a call regarding a verbal and physical altercation that took place at the Corkscrew Saloon located at the Furnace Creek Ranch property in Death Valley National Park. After the Inyo County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived on scene and interviewed witnesses it was determined that there had been an argument that escalated into a physical confrontation – resulting in an individual being struck, and a broken window. Terence Michael Butler a 65-year old man from Beverly Hills, CA was arrested for misdemeanor assault, public intoxication and vandalism. Butler was booked into the Inyo County Jail and released after detox and citation.” Butler would eventually take to his Twitter page to post a picture of himself and a man that we can’t really make out who it is with a bike saying, “After that little distraction.” It has been noted that Geezer will soon join up with the fellas in Black Sabbath to record what is “going” to be their last album and tour very soon.

 

2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards

The night that celebrates the genre that gets no respect, Metal, is back and due to the passing of a true Metal legend in Jeff Hanneman, the night was dedicated in his honor. The show kicked off with fellow Big Four legends Anthrax kicking into an amazing version of Caught In A Mosh. The band’s second song that they performed was off of Worship Music called Fight Em Till You Can’t and I have to say that I am so happy that Joey is the singer because he is just amazing. Anthrax ended their set by bringing out Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown to do This Love and dedicating it to Jeff Hanneman. They even ended the song with a little bit of Raining Blood just to top off the tribute. Chris Jericho was back for the fourth time to host the Fifth annual event.

Chuck Billy and Alex Skolnick of Testament would come out to introduce Dillinger Escape Plan who started off their set with Prancer and the singer,Greg Puciato, would bust his own head open during the set. For their second song or maybe their third song of the set, they would invite Chino Moreno of The Deftones to perform Behind The Wheel which was the only song I enjoyed from their set and it featured Greg shooting flames with a torch and the band smashing their equipment in typical rock/metal fashion.

After a heart felt tribute to Jeff Hanneman from Kerry King and Zakk Wylde, Heaven’s Basement came out to introduce Halestorm who started off their set with Love Bites. Before they kicked into I Miss The Misery, there was an amazing intro that featured some killer drumming from Arejay Hale. For their special guest, Halestorm brought out David Draiman to perform Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love and it was actually really good.

Heidi Sheppard and Carla Harvey of The Butcher Babies along with Jill Janus Of Huntress came out to introduce Five Finger Death Punch who started their earth shattering set with Burn It Down. In what turned out be a shocking announcement, Five Finger Death Punch revealed that they had two CD’s coming out within the next six months and one of the tracks from one featured their special guest for the second track. Rob Halford came out to perform Lift Me Up with them dressed in a priest outfit. To top that performance, Five Finger brought out Rob Zombie and John 5 to perform Thunderkiss 65 together on stage.

Maria Brink and Chris Howorth from In This Moment introduced Stone Sour to the stage as they opened up with Gone Sovereign. The second song the band performed was Absolute Zero and it absolutely rocked. Corey after the Zero was over said that before their guest came out, they were going to get the crowd started with their tribute to Sabbath as they began to play Children Of The Grave and sure enough during the song M. Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn of Slipknot came out and performed with Stone Sour. It was absolutely off the charts and Corey definitely proved he deserved that vocalist of the year award.

One of the funniest incidents occurred  The Black Veil Brides were about to accept the award for best song of the year and the crowd was booing. Andy of BVB came right out and told the crowd off. Metal fans really hate The Black Veil Brides I guess. Papa Emeritus II of Ghost B.C. came out to introduce the one and only Danzig as he opened with Hammer Of The Gods not Mother according to the screen which would end up being the second track performed. Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein would eventually come out to perform Death Comes Ripping, Skulls and Last Caress with Danzig.

Phil Campbell and Lemmy Kilmister came out to introduce the one and only Metallica as they came out and opened with Disposable Heroes.

The Awards:

Guitarist Of The Year: John 5

Drummer Of The Year: Arejay Hale

Most Dedicated Fans: Fans Of Him (just a little side note, I think Marilyn Manson should the biggest sign of disrespect to the band him).

Best Live Band: Slipknot

The 2013 Golden God Award: Rob Zombie’

Best Vocalist: Corey Taylor

Best New Talent: Device

Comeback Of The Year: Tenacious D

Best Bassist: Lemmy Kilmister

Most Metal Athlete: Triple H

Song Of The Year: In The End by The Black Veil Brides

Riff Lord: Tony Iommi

Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award: Metallica

Album Of The Year: Koi No Yokan by The Deftones