Today is seemingly “news about albums that are coming out in early 2012″ day. To that end:

• Soilwork are writing a new album called The Living Infinite. Generic quote time: Speed Strid says that “people can expect a continuation of the intensity and presence of The Panic Broadcast, only taken to a higher level” and wishes us all a merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Gee, thanks, Speed!
• Gojira have issued their third studio update video, this one showing bassist Jean-Michel Labadie laying down his tracks. Labadie is the member of Gojira I feel like I know the least about; I’d love to get to know that guy! Gojira are presumably all done or close to done recording their album by now… very exciting.
• Lamb of God released a new trailer for their new album Resolution (January 24th, Epic Records), and it features a good chunk of a previously unheard song. Check it out above, and listen to the first single “Ghost Walking” here if you haven’t yet.

We don’t ordinarily post a whole lotta YouTube covers on MetalSucks (other than the occasional it’s-so-bad-it’s-good laughingstock material) because, well, you can visit YouTube for that. But the story of Ordinance’s cover of Soilwork’s “Stabbing the Drama,” featuring drummer Alex Rudinger (also of Threat Signal), tugged at my heart strings, so I thought I’d share.

A few months back Threat Signal had some gigs in Ontario, Canada. Bjorn Strid happened to be in the area, so they decided to do a live cover of the song with Strid on vocals. Since Alex had already gone through the trouble of learning the song he figured he may as well record it, and instead of playing over Soilwork’s original recording he just asked his buddies in his other band Ordinance to contribute on their instruments as well:

I really enjoy watching Rudinger’s performance; it does such a great job of highlighting just how nuanced a drummer Soilwork’s Dirk Verbeuren is. Loving all the cymbal inflections. Dirk’s got great hands (that’s what she said), and so does Alex.

After the jump, some live footage of Threat Signal and Speed Strid performing “Stabbing the Drama”:

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photos by Daniel Zetterstrom

In April, Jeff Loomis (#7 on our list of the Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists) and drummer Van Williams announced their departure from Nevermore. And while bands lose members all the time, few splits have ever rocked the metal world the way this one did. The idea of Nevermore without Williams and, especially, Loomis, seemed like blasphemy to a lot of fans — including this one. For Loomis is truly a guitar god; his style and sound define Nevermore, and if he retired tomorrow, his legend would already be assured.

But Loomis stayed quiet about the cause of the split, even as Nevermore vocalist Warrel Dane openly talked smack in the press. Instead of dwelling on the past, it seemed that Loomis wanted to concentrate on the future: In July, he teased a new solo effort — his first since 2008′s Zero Order Phase — and in August, he revealed that he’d recruited some pretty incredible collaborators for that album, including Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and 7 Horns 7 Eyes’ guitarist Aaron Smith, who is producing the release.

And while there’s still no official release date or even a title for Loomis’ first post-Nevermore outing, he has, at last, started to speak out on the whirlwind year he’s been experiencing… albeit cautiously. He’s granted interviews to a few European magazines, but MetalSucks is the only North American media outlet with whom he has discussed — and, as we understand, will discuss — the break-up. And, yes, as card carrying members of the Cult of Loomis, we were only too thrilled to be able to get his side of the story.

After the jump, read everything Loomis has to say about what went wrong with Nevermore, how he feels about Dane’s comments in the press, the current status of his relationship with Dane and Nevermore bassist Jim Sheppard, and, of course, some juicy details on his new solo album.

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As previously reported here on MS, now that Nevermore has quit Nevermore, ex-guitarist Jeff Loomis (#7 on our list of the Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists) is working on his second solo album. We are very excited!

Our excitement was elevated to the next level today upon finding out the makeup of the band he’ll be recording with this time around:

• Dirk Verbeuren of Soilwork (drums)
• Aaron Smith of 7 Horns 7 Eyes (producer)
• Shane Lentz (bass)
• Christine Rhodes (guest vocals), who previously contributed to Nevermore’s Dreaming Neon Black album
• Jeff Loomis’ hair (guest guitar solo)

If you’re wondering who the hell Shane Lentz is, like we were, peep this quote from Loomis: “Up until about 2 weeks ago, I was planning on doing the bass parts myself but then saw this amazing bass player on YouTube and said to myself, ‘I need to have him on the record.” Awesome; Internet dreams really do come true!

It’d be awesome if Loomis invited Keith Merrow in to contribute a guest solo. Ya know, to return the favor.

Expect the new Loomis solo joint in Spring 2012.

-VN

I have a serious case of the Mondays. Happy Humpday! TGIF! Whatever, I don’t give a fuck. Here are today’s hottest new music streams:

• Brooklyn Vegan is streaming “By Which We’re Cemented” from Flourishing’s bruising new effort The Sum of All Fossils. Churning, roiling, intense and ugly are just some of the adjectives I’d use to describe Flourishing’s brand of post-hardcore bludgeoning. The band’s first full-length album will come out on August 2nd via The Path Less Traveled Records.

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UPDATE: It’s official. Nevermore are off this tour. WHAT A BUMMER.

Well, here’s a potentially sucky situation.

We just got the following e-mail from reader Glenn Pillsbury:

“Just got a canned email from the promoter of the May 8 Symphony X concert in San Francisco that does not mention anything about Nevermore appearing on the dates, even though Nevermore was on the dates when I purchased my ticket a few weeks ago.  I sent a reply asking about it and got a statement from the promoter guy himself that Nevermore has indeed dropped off.  Haven’t seen anything from Nevermore itself though (their MySpace still has all the dates listed).”

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Oh noes! Soilwork have been forced to drop off their Spring North American tour with Nevermore and Symphony X because guitarist Peter Wichers has a herniated disc in his back. Ouch.

I feel your pain, Peter. Literally… because I have a herniated disc too (actually two). It’s uncomfortable to do pretty much anything; sitting is a challenge (especially in the cramped confines of cars and airplanes) and standing for longer than a couple of hours is a chore… I can’t even fathom having to rock out on stage every night.

So when drummer Dirk Verbeuren says Wichers requires a “prolonged period of rest,” I can’t help but feel for the guy because I know exactly what he’s going through. Worst. Pain. Ever. Peter, can we be herniated disc buddies?? I hope you rest up and get that treated, and if you get better, um, kindly let me know how you did it because nothing I’ve tried to date has worked.

That official statement from Verbeuren after the jump (with news on the band’s future touring commitments):

Click to read more…

A member of a famous metal band who probably wishes to remain anonymous has said to me on more than one occasion that he believes Soilwork are a good live band, but not a great live band, and that they were only ever great [in the U.S.] one time: Ozzfest 2005. I was really surprised to hear him put it in these terms, because I’d had the exact same thoughts with regards to Ozzfest 2005… they were so, so, so tight. Not sure if it was the lineup at the time, the sound engineer, having practiced a lot beforehand, being psyched about the tour, playing outdoors or what… but they just sounded absolutely phenomenal, at least on the date I saw them in New Jersey. Since then, seeing Soilwork live has always been slightly anti-climactic mainly because the guitars seem muddy / lack definition, but it’s always fun nonetheless because I’m a total fanboy of their albums.

Anyway, all that doesn’t have much to do with anything other than that I thought of it because the new video for Soilwork’s “Let This River Flow” is a live clip. Honestly, despite how much we hyped it up pre-release, I’d kinda forgotten that Soilwork put out a new record last year, and that said record -- The Panic Broadcast – was pretty darn good. This was not one of my favorite songs from that record, though; no, I have nothing against Soilwork ballads (“Song of the Damned” anyone???), I just don’t happen to really like this song. Anyway, here it go:

-VN

Each time Devin Townsend releases a new studio video of the Deconstruction sessions — or each time he releases anything at all, really — my inner dialogue goes something like this:

Vince Neilstein 1: This is awesome! Gotta post about it immediately
Vince Neilstein 2: Yeah, but you post everything Devin does! Lay off this time, maybe.
Vince Neilstein 1: Yeah, but… this is soooo awesome!
Vince Neilstein 2: So is everything. Wait ’til he releases an actual new song or something, and avoid over-hype.
Vince Neilstein 1: Yeah, but… fuck you, I’m posting.

And so, here’s the latest Deconstruction recording update. It features the great Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork, Scarve, 10,000 other bands) on drums. Verbeuren’s got to be one of the most under-rated players in metal; every time I watch him play I’m absolutely floored. He’s got such great hands (huh huh, that’s what she said); in a modern metal drumming landscape that’s dominated by constant double-bassing, Dirk uses his hands more creatively than just about anyone.

Expect Deconstruction to come out some time this summer, and expect it to feature guest vocal appearance by Mikael Akerfeldt, Joe Duplantier, Tommy Rogers and Greg Puciato.

-VN

Holy crap, there’s a lot of new music coming out today. It’s like everyone knew that all the lonely metal heads would home alone jerking off, so they all released new songs at once. It’s hard to even keep up with it all!

One that’s worth keeping up with, though, is Darkest Hour’s “Love is a Weapon.” It’s another new song from their forthcoming offering, The Human Romance, and I think it’s my favorite yet.

Why? Well, for one thing, it amalgamates my two favorite emotions: rage and melancholy. But, perhaps more importantly, it just hits all my g-spots: it’s well-written, it’s well-played, and it’s well-produced, by some dude named Peter Wichers. I ain’t never heard of him before, but I think he could have a bright future ahead of him if he continues to do work as good as this.

To listen, go to the band’s Facebook page and tell the world that you want Darkest Hour to be your valentine. Let’s be real here, Mike Carrigan is prettier than your real valentine anyway.

The Human Romance comes out next Tuesday, February 22, on eOne. It is the perfect music to make love to.

-AR

We still haven’t gotten to hear the new Darkest Hour album, The Human Romance, in its entirety — but Chris Dick gives it an 8 outta 10 score in the March 2011 issue of Decibel, the first new song from the record that the band released, “Savor the Kill,” was awesome, and now the second new song from the record the band has released, “Your Everyday Disaster,” has also proven to be pretty wicked. So it’s looking like Darkest Hour have, once again, delivered the goods.

Which is no shock… they’re Darkest Hour! And the great Peter Wichers produced this record! So the odds were pretty much always in DH’s favor.

And “Disaster” sounds like classic Darkest Hour in pretty much every way imaginable. So check that shit out here.

The Human Romance comes out February 22 on eOne. Get stoked.

-AR

We still haven’t gotten to hear the new Darkest Hour album, The Human Romance, in its entirety — but Chris Dick gives it an 8 outta 10 score in the March 2011 issue of Decibel, the first new song from the record that the band released, “Savor the Kill,” was awesome, and now the second new song from the record the band has released, “Your Everyday Disaster,” has also proven to be pretty wicked. So it’s looking like Darkest Hour have, once again, delivered the goods.

Which is no shock… they’re Darkest Hour! And the great Peter Wichers produced this record! So the odds were pretty much always in DH’s favor.

And “Disaster” sounds like classic Darkest Hour in pretty much every way imaginable. So check that shit out here.

The Human Romance comes out February 22 on eOne. Get stoked.

-AR

I am really, really excited for The Human Romance, the new Darkest Hour album. These dudes are still at the top of their game, it’s their first release for a new label, Peter Wichers produced it, and, well, they’re Darkest Hour! How can you not get excited?

The band described their new album art to Metal Injection back in November, but now they’ve finally released it for all the world to see:

So that’s pretty fuckin’ metal, right?

The Human Romance comes out via eOne on February 22.

Meanwhile, over at Darkest Hour’s old label, Victory, they’re preparing to release a new Emmure album. The record is called Speaker of the Dead and the Emmure guys are nothing if not clever, so the cover, of course, is literally a photo of speakers:

Click to read more…

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Welcome to “Question of the Week,” a (sometimes) weekly debate amongst the MetalSucks staff regarding a recent hot button issue.

This week’s question was once again suggested by “Hipsters Out of Metal!” columnist Anso DF, and even though the Grammy nominations were actually announced last week, it still seemed like a fun debate to have. So:

WHAT ARE YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR BEST METAL GRAMMY?

The MS staff’s answers after the jump.

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Welcome to “Question of the Week,” a (sometimes) weekly debate amongst the MetalSucks staff regarding a recent hot button issue.

This week, we have our first ever reader-suggested QOTW, coming from MetalSucks Maniac Cougar Party:

WHAT BANDS DO YOU HATE THAT YOU HAVE SEEN LIVE MULTIPLE TIMES BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS OPENING FOR SOMEONE YOU LIKE?

The MS staff’s answers after the jump.

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I’m so fucking hungover right now that I wanna put in a gun in my mouth and blow my brains all over the wall just to make the headache stop. So you watch this latest video updated from Devin Townsend while I go try to get my shit together and write snarky metal blog posts for the rest of the day. It’s not like there’s anything I could write to really convey Devin’s Deviness anyway.

And here’s a message from Devin which goes with the video:

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For my opening salvo, I suppose I should mention that it has been a long break between blogs. I’ve been meaning to get back to it, but this summer has been a very busy one filled with the musical composition of the new God Forbid album as well as a new project I’ve been working on, in addition to the daily pursuit of living life and getting by. I hope to contribute more frequently in the near future.

If you’ve followed my articles in the past, you may notice that I often address music history, and pertaining to this site, heavy music specifically. I have a great respect for artistic pioneers and the roots of where the most admirable and brilliant music stems from. I was the type of kid who would read liner notes and interviews by my favorite bands to find out who influenced them. I would always want to climb that musical family tree to see where it lead.

In my process of discovery, there was a common thread that jumped out at me that has been consistent through metal and rock history.  There seemed to be an intercontinental ping-pong match between the USA and Europe in terms of trailblazing the cutting edge of whatever musical genre was the dominant force of the time. This goes way back before metal existed — and yet, it has helped shape the musical landscape that exists today. The torch keeps being symbolically passed from one shore to the other.

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Can I get a “heck yes!” from all the nerds in the house?

Heck yes!

Reader Daniel Borbet just sent us a link to an event posted at the website of NYC’s Best Buy Theater — formerly the not-at-all-more-appealingly-named Nokia Theater — for a Symphony X show with Nevermore, Soilwork, Powerglove and Blackguard in tow. Yowza, that’s some serious nerdage right there! The show is booked for April 22, 2011 which seems like an eternity from now, but such is the case when foreign bands like Soilwork are involved and visas need to be procured, flights needs to be booked, and so on and so forth.

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I started dreading middle age a little early, and not only for the universal reasons. Of course, I fret that my staggering good looks will fade, my wang will begin to betray me (more often), and the psychic fatigue of drug abuse will finally mangle my sunny disposition. Those are typical concerns; I can deal with that shit. What I couldn’t handle, however, is the likely transformation into a mean old jerk who constantly complains that new music sucks and fuck everybody who listens to it. You know people like this. I’ve spent my life among them. They are the worst!

I don’t want to be an oldist, ever. It means missing out on too much good new shit in exchange for the comfort of the familiar. And it makes you sound like an out-of-touch douchelord. So I’m constantly checking myself, like a prostate self-exam. And for the last few years, the outlook was kinda alarming: In my honest moments, I was longing for more singing and less screaming; I keep waiting for some real singers to step forward and become the Tate, Dickinson, and Halford of this new era. Also, my phobias came to include breakdowns, the Krank guitar sound, random riffs, hyper-precise drums mixed to resemble farts in the bath, and macho diary-style lyrics — each a touchstone of post-Pantera commercial metal. So, yeah. Fuck, I thought, I might as well start pricing dentures.

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At the Golden Gods thing back in April, I really perked up when Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell came down the press line. It was surprising and weird because I was not aware that his band remained significant to me. But there I was, rudely turning away from Zakk Wylde in mid-sentence to beam fanatically at Cantrell and bassist Mike Inez. The two seemed spot-lit and energetic; there was a sense of relief that the band had returned from the brink, and with a fucking awesome album to boot. I couldn’t take my eyes off them the whole night, not least of all during their innumerable trips to the stage to collect awards for Black Gives Way To Blue before a roomful of applause and well wishes. So deserved. Awesome.

This is a big turnaround for me after a decade of intense AIC fatigue, during which I suffered actual nausea from the harmonies of “Heaven Beside You,” and the opening chords of “Rooster” triggered an immediate lunge for the radio dial. (The latter is partially my fault, ‘cuz I remember a beer blast at which I stood guard over the stereo as that song stayed on repeat for like two hours.) I’ll never tire of Cantrell’s masterful solo in “Man In The Box” or the majesty of “Down In A Hole,” but otherwise it seemed that by 2000 we’d all gotten enough Alice In Chains for a lifetime. Not to mention the proliferate AIC clones complete with insta-Laynes — which really riled me cuz if anyone, it’s Cantrell whom a smart band would replicate. And, sadly, Staley himself was pretty much a super-bummer on two legs before long. Semi-consciously, I began to ignore their existence. Me and Alice In Chains were over. Such a great band, such a shame.

But, yes, some time apart and a tardiculous new album have healed the oft-rocky relationship between AIC and my ears. We’re back together, stronger than ever, and it’s no exagerration to state that I still can’t stop listening to BGW2B, a pop-doom metal masterpiece that finally brings some closure to the Staley situation (and it even impacted the new Soilwork record). Actually, I always think of Type O Negative’s Peter Steele when I hear the album’s big finale, “Private Hell.” Maybe you do, too.

-ADF

Alice In Chains embarks on the BlackDiamondSkye tour with Deftones and Mastodon starting September 16. Get dates here.