With his virtually-guaranteed-to-suck new solo album coming out this spring, Slash now has to start thinking about putting a band together for a support tour. Since each song on the album features guest vocals by a different all-star singer, and Slash was never gonna be able to get ‘em all to do a whole tour with him, the logical solution was to hire a singer for his touring band.

And that singer is Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy.

This comes as a disappointment to me only because I hate Alter Bridge. As far as I can tell, Kennedy is actually a very talented singer. And he does vox on one of Slash’s solo tracks, “Starlight,” so I guess his presence makes sense; Lord knows Alter Bridge ain’t doin’ squat right now, so he might as well get paid.

Is Kennedy an electrifying live presence? I dunno, I ain’t done never seen him live. But I can tell you that this cover he does of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” isn’t as awful as I would have guessed it would be. It’s definitely a little touchy feely, but like I said, the dude can sing.

Slash promises to “announce the other band members shortly.”

-AR

I’ve personally never understood all the ire directed at Trivium by metal purists. In Trivium you have a band with above average chops and way better than average songwriting skills led a young phenom who’s a helluva nice guy. What’s not to like — or, at the very least if it just ain’t your thang musically speaking (which is fine), what is there to HATE? Sure, there was that Metallica ripoff album that was pretty ridiculous in concept, but even that album was executed well and the band promptly righted their ship with the next one. As for as more commercially-oriented metal goes there are WAY WAY WAY worse bands than Trivium. Way worse, people. Trivium are the good guys in that fight.

We’ve always felt that the band did lack a bit in the live department, though, mainly because of drummer Travis Smith. Way back in March of 2007, only our third month as a website, Axl reviewed a Lamb of God gig at NYC’s Roseland at which Trivium opened, nailing the problem with Smith thusly:

the fault here appears to lie primarily with drummer Travis Smith, who often seems to be playing a different song from his bandmates. I’m all for fast drumming, but Smith is completely incapable of staying on the beat, and the rest of the band’s performances suffer severely as a consequence of trying to keep up with him.

And this has always been the case with Smith. It seemed like he was always trying to keep up with the ProToolsed performances he laid down on record and couldn’t quite do it. But the other three members of Trivium need worry no more, as rumors of Travis Smith’s departure from the band have now been confirmed. Noisecreep reports:

“We’re really happy to have our good friend and fellow Floridian Nick Augusto join the Trivium family,” Vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy commented.

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If you’re reading this, you are a sexy genius with a packed social calendar, so I understand if you couldn’t shoe-horn Sunday’s Grammys broadcast into your life. I, however, only had to interrupt a ten-minute conversation with my watch in time for the opening number (Elton John’s duet with the daughter of Marilyn Manson and Cher). It was the first of many atrocities, but none more grotesque and exploitative than the, ahem, tribute to Michael Jackson. Let’s not examine it too closely, lest our brains be scorched by the searing retarditude of having MJ’s children take the stage and hail their own father as a genius and special soul too strange for our world. Yeah. We fucking get it.

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Reader Chris tipped us off to the existence of Rock Sugar, a band that mashes-up metal and hard rock songs with pop songs… and does so with surprising efficiency. The below video, for example, is for a lil’ ditty called “Don’t Stop The Sandman,” which combines… well, y’know. It’s kind of amazing how well it works, though!

Check out Rock Sugar on MySpace for more. I’m partial to “Shook Me Like a Prayer” myself. AC/DC + Madonna = awesome.

-AR

When a headline about The Metalympics on SMNnews.com flashed across my RSS reader I got very excited. Dino Cazares takes on Kirk Windstein in a hot-dog eating competition. Devin Townsend squares off against Frank Mullen in a battle to determine once and for all who talks the best between-song smack. Phil Lewis vs. Tracii Guns in a steel cage match to settle L.A. Guns naming rights. Emmure vs. The Acacia Strain in a tag-team affair to squash their hardcore beef. Oh, the possibilities!!!

But, no. Instead it’s just a fancy name for a regular old Battle of the Bands in Massachusetts. Oh well. I guess if you’re reading this, you live in Massachusetts and are in a metal band trying to make it you should enter. The rest of us will hold out hope for an eventual Metalympics that lives up to its name.

-VN

Yesterday I wrote a pretty harsh criticism of God Save RockandRoll, a new blog written by the wife of Atreyu’s Brandon Saller, Ashley Jean.

Well, I guess word got back to Ashley Jean in record time: as of this morning, she has removed her improper French translation of the phrase “God Save Rock and Roll” (why oh why didn’t I take a screen cap?!?!), and has responded to some of the things I said in my blog – without directly naming MetalSucks, natch. Here’s an excerpt:

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The lineup for this year’s Scion Rock Fest speaks for itself — Cannibal Corpse, Shrinebuilder and Voivod headline — and as if that and the 20+ other awesome bands on the bill weren’t enough, the event is completely FREE! But here’s the thing; even though you can currently RSVP on Scion Rock Fest’s website, you won’t be able to do so for long because the word from Scion is that those tickets are just about gone. Fortunately we’ve got a guaranteed pair of tickets to give away that will still be available even once the initial round of freebies have been slurped up.

So, to win your pair of tickets, here’s what we want you to do: leave a comment — with a valid email address that you check frequently — telling us which band on this year’s lineup you absolutely MUST see and why. In case you forget the awesome list of bands just look at the above flyer or the printed list of bands after the jump. We’ll pick our favorite and contact the winner on Friday, February 26th.

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Rather than interview Dark Tranquillity frontman Mikael Stanne ourselves or have the Monkeys whip up a few questions on their typewriters, we figured we’d extend an invitation to our faithful Suckalos. After all, DT’s new album We Are the Void drops March 9th so surely there are some burning questions on your mind. Such as:

• What can we expect from the new album?
• What are your feelings on touring with bands as varied as Killswitch Engage and The Devil Wears Prada?
• Why do you do that funny little bob with your head when you sing?

Now’s your chance to have your questions answered by Mikael himself. Simply leave your queries in the comments, we’ll sift through and pick a few of our favorites, and he’ll answer them on MetalSucks in due time.

In case you’re the one person in the world who hasn’t seen it:

Now, on the one hand, I would never advocate hitting a woman outside the realm of Cannibal Corpse or Pig Destroyer lyrics; on the other hand, holy shit that Snooki girl from Jersey Shore is fucking irritating.

Why are we talking about all of this? ‘Cause for some reason Snooki just interviewed Judas Priest’s Rob Halford and Scott Travis for MTV, and despite the fact that she is so brazenly a waste of space, Halford and Travis manage to get through the entire thing without being total douchebags and punching her. That’s called “self-control,” kids.

Watch the interview after the jump. It’s actually pretty funny.

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Bob Mould Band, Live At ATP 2008

I am loathe to acknowledge the All Tomorrow’s Parties machine as little more than an opportunity for cynical indie rock fogies and their younger, still-insufficiently jaded hipster equivalents to participate in the reprehensible festival experience they’d otherwise sneer at. Still, the organizers and curators behind the expensive, all-inclusive, fan-coddling 2008′s New York installment tempted me with the inclusion of former Husker Du frontman Bob Mould on the lineup. This quality soundboard recording, officially sanctioned though somewhat deceptively designed to look like a bootleg, features the hardcore punk and alt-rock pioneer running through a career-spanning forty-three minute set with a band featuring members of Superchunk and Verbow. Kicking off with a pair of tracks from his poppy post-hardcore project Sugar, one can immediately see these as part of the Midwest hxc legacy. Even post-Sugar solo cuts marred in the studio (“Circles,” “Paralyzed”) benefit from the substantially punkier treatment offered by the full live band. Of course, true gratification comes with the closing five song mini-set of Husker Du classics, of which “Chartered Trips” and an earth-scorching rendition of “New Day Rising” stand out. While not necessarily the best place to start for beginners, those at least familiar with New Day Rising or Zen Arcade should grab this limited edition disc.

(4 out of 5 horns)

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…some dude named Joey! He wins two tickets to see BTBAM at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville this Friday night, two meet and greet passes for the same show, a BTBAM hoodie, a BTBAM t-shirt, and a copy of BTBAM’s latest release, The Great Misdirect, to have signed by the band at the meet and greet. Be jealous of Joey.

And in case you’re curious, here’s his winning entry:

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Ihsahn’s After is perhaps the biggest curveball of his career thus far. At the very least, the man deserves credit for combining prog rock, technical death metal, and nimble saxophone accompaniment into something other than an unlistenable clusterfuck. But After is more than a non-clusterfuck: it’s easily the most distinctive of his post-Emperor work, if not possibly his best as a solo artist. For the first time, In the Nightside Eclipse sounds like an eon ago, if not foreign altogether.

Of course, Ihsahn is aware of this. The man sounds proud when talking about his latest, the last of his first trilogy of solo albums, as well as at peace with his past. In an interview with MetalSucks, he talks about After’s origins, the hypocrisy of the “black metal” mindset, the status of Emperor, and the surprisingly pragmatic reason why it took him so long to play out as a solo artist.

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… faithful MetalSucks reader Shane Gillis! The panel that selected the winner of this contest included not just your MetalSucks editors but the Brohemoths at Metal Injection, Metal Blade, Behemoth’s management company and, yes, Nergal himself! The choice was unanimous. Here’s what Shane had to say about the contest when he entered:

I feel that I should win the vocal cover contest because I put so much heart, soul, and time into this, when time is the last thing I have right now. Just became a first time father on December 28th. I was so obsessed with this contest that I filmed my wife two days before she had the baby so that I could get video of her pregnant, and then later handing my son to me (just like in the Behemoth video). That takes dedication folks! I worked very hard to make this different than all the others I’ve seen. I wanted to give you something extra, especially during the parts where there are no vocals. I spent many hours on this, so I hope you find it worthy of this amazing contest. Besides all that, I’m 35 years old. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 10, and it has ALWAYS been metal. I’m a lifetime devotee. I think Behemoth are the masters of this style and it has been a pleasure to compete in something bearing their name, regardless of the outcome. Damnit I want that guitar!!!

Congrats dude, you deserve it! Enjoy the guitar and Behemoth / Metal Blade swag, and congrats on your newborn. Some day you’ll have a great story to tell your son about how you won that guitar. You should even consider giving it to him when he’s old enough to play!

- VN & AR

Guitarist Andrew Mikhail (who spoke with our own Oceano-loving fiend, Gary Suarez, back in October) has left Oceano. The guitarist revealed his departure in a series of Tweets, each more revealing than the last, starting 2 days ago:

“dawn of a new day” 6:52 PM Feb 1st from mobile web

decided it was time to get out of the water. 7:24 AM Feb 2nd from mobile web

for personal reasons, i left oceano yesterday. wanted to say thanks to everyone who has supported what i’ve done. see you soon, for sure. about 20 hours ago from web

The inevitable Lambgoat post followed as did a barrage of unusually non-offensive comments (one of which is my headline – thanks “the_smile_that_kills”!). The statement Mikhail released to Lambgoat is cryptic and doesn’t say much, but it seems — understandably so — that Mikhail was just tired of playing shitty deathcore.

We look forward to bashing Oceano’s forthcoming Zeuss-produced album when it comes out later this year. That sound you hear is Gary Suarez whimpering in the corner.

-VN

Thanks: Pete Arado.

I mean that both literally and figuratively ’cause the track’s called “Best of Me” and I’m two-and-a-half listens in and already a total sucker for this song. It’s got everything you want in a Ratt tune: a vintage DeMartini riff drowned in reverb, ridiculous lyrics, cheesy backup vox, a powerful pre-chorus (it’s all about the pre-chorus! just ask Steve Clarke), a climax-building bridge and the release of a scorching guitar solo. Of course, Stephen Pearcy sounds as shitty as ever which only adds to this song’s charm.

Vince Neilstein gives a hearty YES to Ratt in 2010. Possibly the only ’80s hair band still making good music? I never would’ve expected it to be Ratt. Hopefully Infestation, out April 20th on Roadrunner / Loud & Proud, will follow suit.

-VN

Then why not piss it away on a pissing fountain? I’m guessing not many Dethklok fans have $40,000 of discretionary income, but if you happen to be so fortunate/stupid you can spend it on a perfect replica of the fountain that decorates the nightmarish foyer of Dethklok’s luxurious and deadly estate. The fountain is made of marble, measures approximately 66″ in height with a 96″ basin diameter and is made to order. The $40,000 price tag does not include shipping (U.S. and Caribbean only) and requires a $13,000 deposit to weed out the jokers. The ad boasts “Seriously, this is real.” And seriously… this is real.

I love how the creators of Metalocalypse have created their own self-fulfilling prophecy of Dethklok being the biggest band in the world. What other band can sell ANY piece of merch for $40,000? Let alone a fake band and an item that isn’t even autographed or cummed on? Unbelievable / awesome.

If you’re one of the suckers lucky chaps who can buy one of these, kindly tell them MetalSucks sent you so we can get a sweet commission!

-VN

Landmine Marathon’s new album, Sovereign Descent, comes out March 16 on Prosthetic, and y’know what? Time flies, and it’ll be March 16 before you know it. Which is great, ’cause that means it’ll be April before you know it, and then May, and then it will actually be nice outside again. And then I’ll be dead before you know it, and you won’t have to read this stupid blog anymore!

But I digress. Landmine Marathon. Our friends at Brooklyn Vegan are currently hosting a free download of a new song from the album, entitled “Exist” (thus my insanely clever and not at all hackneyed and poorly timed headline). I think it should quell fears that moving to Prosthetic would make the band sound more slick; this is still very much the Landmine Marathon of Rusted Eyes Awake, which is to say, it’s more metal than two Terminators fucking.

Download it here.

-AR

Alright, so reader C.J. Altman follows Atreyu drummer/auto-tuner Brandon Saller on Twitter I guess. And C.J. tipped us off that Saller tweeted about God Save RockandRoll, a blog run by his wife, who is apparently named Ashley Jean and looks kinda like Saller if Saller looked like a dude. But I’m already getting off-topic.

So. Ashley Jean’s blog, God Save RockandRoll. It’s not just a blog – it’s a blog with a purpose, a theme, kinda like this one you’re reading right now. Here’s an excerpt from Ashley Jean’s first post, which is a de facto mission statement:

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Let’s play a little game. Which of the following does not belong?

• Steve Vai
• Petrucci/Rudess
• Allan Holdsworth
• L.A. Guns
• Eric Johnson
• Marty Friedman
• Vernon Reid

See what I did there? I didn’t even put the obvious choice last, but it’s still just as fucking obvious that L.A. Guns stick out like a boner in gym shorts on the shred-heavy roster of Favored Nations, the label owned by Steve Vai. But apparently Favored Nations will release a new L.A. Guns album come April.

For anyone keeping track, this is the version of L.A. Guns that actually includes the band’s namesake Tracii Guns, not the Phil Lewis-led version that claims the other guys are imposters.

If MetalSucks ever receives a prestigious award the first band I’ll thank will be L.A. Guns (both versions) for providing us with excellent headline fodder throughout the years.

-VN

Shockwaves Ripples emanated throughout the metal blogosphere last month when Sumerian young guns Periphery announced that vocalist Chris Baretto had been replaced by Spencer Sotelo. It seemed like Periphery were just getting into the groove with Baretto having been singerless for so many years, on the heels of successful Summer Slaughter and East Coast headline runs, and with their Sumerian Records debut slated for release this Spring. And not for nothin’, Baretto is a talented singer and an enthralling frontman capable of energizing any audience…. the move was a bit of a head-scratcher.

But fear not, Chris Baretto fans. Haunted Shores, an instru-metal band we featured here this past October, have tapped Baretto to fill their vacant vocalist spot.

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