Bullet For My Valentine Set for Spring/Summer North American Tour

Bullet For My Valentine has been confirmed as the headliners for this year's "hardDrive Live" tour, which will feature Halestorm as direct support along with Young Guns and Stars in Stereo providing additional support. The heavily anticipated tour will tear through clubs across 22 cities in the United States and Canada, spanning from April to May. Hailing from Wales, Bullet For My Valentine will be releasing their follow-up to 2010's "Fever" in February, which will be entitled "Temper Temper." The band has released two singles from their latest studio effort, "Temper Temper," and "Riot." When asked to comment on the upcoming tour, frontman Matt Tuck stated, "We're super stoked to be touring America again. We're going to be bringing the big hits and big guns." These guys have a formidable reputation in the heavy metal community for reviving the thrash metal genre, as their sound and live shows have been compared to the likes of legendary bands such as Metallica. Be sure to catch these guys when they roll through your city! You don't want to miss this. Dates are listed below: 

April 12 – Denver, Colo., Fillmore Auditorium
April 13 – Magna, Utah., The Great Saltair
April 14 – Garden City, Idaho, Revolution Concert House & Event Center
April 16 – Reno, Nev., Grand Sierra Resort Theatre
April 17 – San Francisco, Calif., Warfield Theatre
April 19 – Pomona, Calif., Fox Theater Pomona
April 21 – Tempe, Ariz., The Marquee
April 23 – Dallas, Texas, House Of Blues
April 24 – Houston, Texas, Warehouse Live
April 30 – New York City, N.Y., Roseland Ballroom
May 1 – Worcester, Mass., The Palladium
May 3 – Silver Spring, Md., The Fillmore Silver Spring
May 5 – Philadelphia, Pa., Electric Factory
May 7 – Toronto, Ontario, Sound Academy
May 8 – Fort Wayne, Ind., Fort Wayne Expo Center
May 10 – Buffalo, N.Y., The Town Ballroom
May 11 – Grand Rapids, Mich., Orbit Room
May 15 – Saint Paul, Minn., Myth
May 17 – Pittsburgh, Pa., Stage AE
May 19 – Stroudsburg, Pa., Sherman Theater
May 21 – Chicago, Ill., Riviera Theatre
May 22 – Milwaukee, Wis., Eagles Ballroom

Rob Caggiano Set to Produce Volbeat's Fifth Album

Weeks after Rob Caggiano announced his departure from Anthrax, it has been confirmed that he will produce Volbeat's latest studio effort, which will be entitled "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies." Caggiano, who served as the lead guitarist for the thrash metal pioneers for the better part of the last decade, has decided to pursue his passion of producing music, as he has previously produced records for Anthrax as well as for acclaimed bands such as Cradle of Filth and Machine Head. "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies," which is due in early 2013 and will be released through Vertigo/Universal Music, will be Caggiano's biggest and boldest project since his withdrawal from Anthrax. Influenced by prolific artists such as Johnny Cash, Metallica, AC/DC, and Elvis Presley, Volbeat are one of the hottest, most groundbreaking heavy metal acts in modern music, for they have revolutionized the genre with their distinct brand of "Elvis metal," as their fans call it. Hailing from Denmark, the powerhouse quartet rose to heavy metal superstardom and achieved international fame and success with their breakthrough record, "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven," which was released in 2010. Their unique brand of blistering, riff-based metal and explosive live shows have enabled them to sell out arenas, dominate the European festival circuit, and gain a formidable following in the United States and Canada. As their reputation and popularity grow, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" will surely be one of the most anticipated metal albums of this year. With the confirmation of new studio release as well as an extensive world tour in support of it, 2013 will certainly be a very triumphant year for Volbeat. Given Rob Caggiano's expertise in the thrash metal genre, his collaboration with Volbeat will reasonably result in "Outlaw Gentlement & Shady Ladies" being their heaviest and most developed record to date.

Brad Wilk Revealed As Recording Drummer for Black Sabbath's "13"

There have been various developments surrounding the latest and highly-anticipated studio effort from heavy metal legends Black Sabbath. As they place the finishing touches on their new record, which is set to be released via Vertigo/Universal Republic in June, its title as well as the drummer's identity have been revealed. Brad Wilk of the iconic funk-metal quartet Rage Against the Machine has been confirmed as the recording drummer on "13" in the absence of Black Sabbath's original drummer, Bill Ward. The development of "13" was overseen by highly-accalaimed hard rock and heavy metal producer Rick Rubin and will be the first Black Sabbath record featuring original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, along with guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler, since 1978. However, the reunion of all four original members of Black Sabbath was prevented, for Bill Ward chose to drop out of the engagement due to contractual disagreements. No one is quite sure when and if Bill Ward will return to the band, but I am quite satisfied with their choice of drummer for this album. Combining Brad's unique style of drumming with the distinct, psychedelic groove of the Ozzy-era Black Sabbath will surely make for heavy-metal perfection. Commenting on the overall feel of the record, Iommi stated, "It's taken on the flavor of the old stuff in the way we put things together, but with a different look on it." Sooner or later, "13" will have to be promoted on the road, and it would be an absolute pleasure to see Bill perform with the band once more. Despite his absence, metal fans can rest well-assured that the album will be a true success, for I couldn't picture any musician more qualified and more suited to play Black Sabbath's timeless style of heavy metal behind the kit.

A Review: Metal - EP

Jason Newsted is widely known for his tenure as the longest serving bassist of Metallica, having been with the band for four studio albums (...And Justice for All, Metallica, Load, Reload), two live albums (Live Shit: Binge and Purge, S&M), and one cover album (Garage Inc.) since the passing of their original bassist, Clifford Lee Burton. He helped to propel the legendary quartet to mainstream success through his musical expertise, renowned, heavy bass riffs, and reckless on-stage persona. Since his departure from Metallica in 2001, Newsted has been involved in various projects and collaborations, the most notable of these being the alternative-metal group Echobrain and the heavy metal supergroup WhoCares. However, his latest 4-song release entitled Metal - EP finds the acclaimed, yet severely-underrated bassist returning to his thrash-metal roots. Despite the short length of Metal - EP, it's packed with major volume and delivers ripping vocals, heavy, catchy, riffs, and blistering tempos which can be compared to the likes of Motörhead and Metallica's debut album Kill 'Em All. With this being said, Newsted, an "old-timer" if you will, delivers purely authentic heavy metal in an age where mainstream music dominates the airwaves and the record charts. From the off-the-chart ferociousness of "Soldierhead" to the power and angst of "Skyscraper," this blistering EP throws heavy metal in your face from start to finish, and speaking for the rest of the metal community, we wouldn't want to have it any other way. I'm extremely looking forward and ready for what the future holds for Jason Newsted, as he is reunited with his true element and the sound which has contributed to his overall success as a famed, heavy metal musician.

A Review: "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones"

Black Veil Brides are one of the most groundbreaking and acclaimed metal bands to arise from the Hollywood music scene in the last decade. As proven in their latest and most anticipated studio effort, "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones," the relentless attitude of the blistering heavy metal quintet continues to shine through. Unlike their previous two records, "Wretched and Divine" is essentially a concept album revolving around the unidentified "Wild Ones" as they strive to liberate from the tyrannical organization "F.E.A.R." In a larger scope, the themes presented in each song and lyric serve to represent the band's diehard cult of fans and followers (the Wild Ones, per se) as they proudly classify themselves as the "BVB Army." Some characteristics of "Wretched and Divine" that separate it from the band's previous albums are the presence of anthems, ballads, and minute-long "transmissions" which comprise the basic structure of the 19-song album. These anthemic songs, such as "We Don't Belong" and "In The End," certainly display the ability of the band to breathe life into their creations, by delivering memorable lyrics and choruses and crafting heavy riffs and hooks; yet, this time around, they lack the overall thrash and heavy metal grit which originally drew me to the band via their breakthrough album "Set the World on Fire." Ultimately, "Wretched and Divine" is the band's boldest creative venture in their prolific, yet young career, as they had never approached an album with such an inspired and developed framework. Black Veil Brides have solidified themselves in the heavy metal community as an invincible force ready to conquer the world. Not only this, but they fully intend to bring their fan base along for the adventure, as this album is an ode to their undying loyalty and a heartfelt token of gratitude for making it possible for the band to reach international fame and superstardom. As Black Veil Brides continue to experiment and succeed with their newfound creative capacity and distinct sound, the sky is the limit.