Las Vegas, NV — Five Finger Death Punch has announced the band will release the lead single from their forthcoming 2 new studio albums this Tuesday, May 14 via all digital retailers. The track, “Lift Me Up” (featuring Rob Halford of Judas Priest), which debuted with a performance of the band joined by iconic guest artist Halford live at Revolver Magazine’s Golden Gods Awards Show, will hit the air on radio stations across the globe today. Singer Ivan Moody shares, “First and foremost, just to work alongside an icon like Rob Halford, THE Metal God, was absolutely surreal. The song itself was originally written about overcoming everyday obstacles and less than perfect situations. Most of us weren’t born with a silver spoon in our mouth but if life dealt you all the wrong cards, you still have to play. The song’s intent is to inspire; if you play that hand right you might just come out on top anyway”

“Lift Me Up” (featuring Rob Halford of Judas Priest) will be available online starting May 14 http://bit.ly/10kJNWX

Five Finger Death Punch will release The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell Volume 1 on July 23, while Volume 2 is scheduled for later this fall. Eleven Seven will release the albums outside of North America. Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory recently shared, “We came off the road after a couple of great years of touring and were really amped up to write the 4th record. Everybody was in the right headspace and the band tighter than ever so it was a perfect storm. We jumped in head first and found ourselves 12-13 songs deep fairly quick but were still coming up with better and better material so we looked at each other and said…. ok why stop there? Let’s keep going. Once we passed the 24th song we knew we’re going to have to do two albums. We had this massive amount of music that’s very dear to us, possibly the best material this band has ever created. At that point there was no way to decide which songs to leave off one album. So we made the decision to release them all.”

In June, Five Finger Death Punch will return to Europe for a tour of major festivals including Sweden Rock (6/06), Germany’s Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park (6/08 and 6/09) and the U.K.’s Download Festival at Donington Park (6/16) (full schedule below) concluding the run with a performance at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Ceremony in London.

Upon the band’s return to the U.S., the band will co-headline the 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival alongside Rob Zombie kicking off in San Bernadino, CA on June 29. The travelling festival will stage appearances in 26 markets, and the full itinerary can be viewed here: www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com/tour/

Five Finger Death Punch has released three consecutive RIAA gold certified albums through Prospect Park for sales exceeding 500,000 copies. The success of The Way of The Fist (2007), War Is The Answer (2009) and American Capitalist (2011), which debuted at number 3 on the Billboard charts in October 2011, exhibits the band as one of the few in the rock genre to consistently see significant sales both digitally and physically. The band’s ten consecutive Top 10 radio hits – including 2012′s #1 hit “Coming Down – have spawned cumulative single sales of over 4.2 million. Going back to 2008’s “The Bleeding”, Five Finger Death Punch has consistently been one of the most heavily played bands at rock radio.

www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com

http://www.facebook.com/fivefingerdeathpunch

I sat down with Volbeat Guitarist Rob Caggiano before the band performed at The Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg PA, 5/6. This was very cool, because I am a huge Anthrax fan as well as a big fan of Volbeat. Check out the interview below.

Dante: How does it feel being in Volbeat after leaving Anthrax?

Rob Caggiano: It feels great. I am really proud of this new record and the shows so far have been amazing. It feels natural.

Dante: Why did you leave Anthrax?

Rob Caggiano: I love the guys in Anthrax. There is no bad blood at all. They are like my second family but I felt like I needed a change. And I think the main reason for that was it was never a creative outlet for me. After talking to friends and people that are close to me about it, everyone seemed to think it was just a matter of time before I started to feel this way. I didn’t even know I was feeling this way until it hit me one day and I started to think “why am I not psyched to do this”.

Dante: It’s just weird how things work out. You and Scott (Ian) did The Dame Things album and toured with Volbeat. And that seemed like it transitioned into you joining Volbeat.

Rob Caggiano: Well that’s where I met these guys for the first time and got introduced to their music. And I have been fan ever since. That was a real fun tour. When the whole thing went down with Anthrax Michael called me a day or two later and ask me if I was interested in flying out to Denmark to produce the new Volbeat record. And of course I was all over it. I was excited to do it. Like I said, I am a fan of the band and I like these guys as people and I knew we could make a killer record together. When I got to Demark and started going over the tunes, most of them were finished and Michael would ask me “what would you do here” and we started collaborating. I had tons of ideas. We were just going back and forth and being creative. The chemistry was killer. And that session was the catalyst to what was to come a few weeks later. So I think it was four songs I collaborated on. For this record.

Dante: I also heard you worked with Bruce Springsteen. How did that happen?

Rob Caggiano: Yes I did. I worked with Bruce Springsteen. That was an awesome experience. I produced a record for an amazing singer song writer named Jesse Malin, we did this record called “Glitter In The Gutter” and we sat down for pre production and I was checking out all the material and the band was packing up and he side “I have this one tune that probably wont be on the record but ill play it for you anyway”. The song was called “Broken Radio”, instantly I said we have to get Bruce on this song. Bruce Springsteen is Jesse’s idol, and he was like “no way, it will never happen” and I said “lets record the song and send it to him.” So we continued with the record and we were just about finished with it and we heard nothing from Springsteen and thought “well it was worth a shot a least.” I remember Jesse was in the booth and we were tracking his vocals, the phone rang and I knew instantly it was Bruce by the sound of his voice. He heard the song, he thought it was a beautiful song and he invited Jesse and I to his house. It was amazing, absolutely amazing.

Dante: After this tour what’s next?

Rob Caggiano: We are headlining The Monster Energy Drink Rock Allegiance Tour with H.I.M., All That Remains and Airbourne. That should be a lot of fun and we are really looking forward to that.

Dante: Is there anything you want to say to your fans. The ones that stuck with you.

Rob Caggiano: The fans that stuck with me I would love to thank because this really has been a wild ride and it seems like it’s only the beginning. I am having a blast and I could not be happier right now and I am really proud of this new record. If you like good Rock N Roll and good music check out Volbeat’s new record Outlaw Gentlemen And Shady Ladies.

FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT:

http://www.volbeat.dk
http://www.facebook.com/volbeat
http://www.twitter.com/volbeat

Monster Energy’s Rock Allegiance Tour, Featuring Volbeat, HIM, All That Remains + Airbourne 

http://rockallegiance.com/news/

AND DON’T FORGET TO LIKE ”ROCKNIGHTMARE.COM”  ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Metal guitar legend Chris Poland (ex Megadeth / OHM) has contributed a guest guitar solo to the new album Belt Buckles and Brass Knuckles, from popular Nashville based rock band Moccasin Creek. Poland plays lead on the hard driving track “Only Warning,” which is scheduled to be one of the singles off the album.

Moccasin Creek have taken the rock underground by storm, releasing three full length albums in less than two years. The band has close ties to the heavy metal world, with previous albums having guest appearances from Glen Alvelais (Testament / Forbidden) and Tom Klimchuck (Pro-Pain), and Klimchuck handling mixing duties for all Moccasin Creek recordings.

Moccasin Creek guitarist Charlie Bonnet III spent many years as part of the Tennessee based metal band Disarray, and now serves as co-manager for the career of metal legend Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza (Exodus / Hatriot). Belt Buckles and Brass Knuckles is available now on iTunes.

 Listen to “Only Warning” featuring Chris Poland -

https://soundcloud.com/officialmoccasincreek/only-warning

For more information on Moccasin Creek please visit

www.moccasincreekmusic.com and www.creekvideos.com

Chicago, IL. – New York City, NY based I Scream Records has entered into an exclusive, worldwide distribution agreement with Victory Records. I Scream was founded in Brussels, Belgium by Laurens Kusters in 1994.

I Scream Records, www.iscreamrecords.com, is one of the world’s leading international punk and hardcore labels. The catalog features releases from Life Of Agony, Madball, Ramallah, Trapped Under Ice, Stigma, Skarhead, The Last Resort, Wisdom In Chains, Earth Crisis, Twitching Tongues, Death By Stereo, Incite, Agnostic Front, MOD, Blood For Blood and Lionheart to name a few. After years of licensing its releases to various US labels, I Scream started its American operation in 2006 as a committed and diverse independent label. The first releases will be the re-issuing of the classic and seminal Murphy’s Law catalog“Murphy’s Law”, “Back With A Bong”, “The Best Of Times”, “Dedicated” and “The Party’s Over” along with a new EP from Lionheart. In addition to distribution, Victory will be handling all of I Scream’s international e-commerce.

Tony Brummel, Founder of Victory Records said, “I have known Laurens for at least fifteen years. He grew up in the music industry on the business side and also as a musician. He has a great ear as a musician, publisher and label owner. He has a fantastic catalog and will be announcing some very exciting signings in the coming weeks and months. I Scream is a great addition to our stable of distributed labels.”

About Victory Records, Inc.:

Victory Records, Inc. is the top independent rock label in the United States and one of the world’s leading independent record companies. For more information please visit  http://www.victoryrecords.com

Peoria, IL — Mindset Evolution will release the band’s full-length debut Brave, Bold, and Broken via Prospect Park Records in June. Perseverance has become a way of life for the Peoria, IL quintet since they began fighting to be heard in 2005. The band – Rob Ulrich (vocals), Brad Prentice (guitar), Josh Bodeen (bass), Joey Gibbz (drums), and Skyler Baer (guitar) – went from local stalwarts to national contenders as the winner of 2011′s Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival “Battle of the Bands.” As they ready the release of their lead single, “Burn It Down,” the real fight is just beginning.

By 2011, the band had carved out an impressive following in the Midwest that led to a featured spot on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour, as well as opening slots for the likes of Seether and Breaking Benjamin. As their budding career was building steam, a friend blindsided the band entering Mindset Evolution in the first-ever Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival “Battle of the Bands.” They emerged victorious out of a pool of over 5,300 bands across the country, and as Singer Rob Ulrich recalls, “We had just endured a lineup change and were actually in the process of planning our next step. We wanted to write more, but my buddy found this ‘Battle of the Bands’ contest. He entered us without saying anything, after rallying the fans, and promoting, we ended up winning.” As contest victors, they landed a spot on the Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival 2012 sharing the stage with Shinedown, Godsmack, and Staind for the entire summer.

On the album, produced by Johnny K (Staind, Disturbed), they infuse hard rock with a vibrant, vital, and, at times, vulnerable energy. That spark ignites on the incendiary and irresistible first single “Burn it Down,” which impacts radio in June, and is available on iTunes May 21. Both Chicago’s WIIL and Colorado Springs KILO are on the track pre-impact date showing strong support, while hometown rock station WIXO in Peoria has already begun spinning the song. The band’s very moniker suggests the importance of change in the face of life’s trials and tribulations. Ulrich reflects, “If you face an obstacle that you can’t pass, you have to change your approach, and do something differently. You have to look at it from another angle, and find a way around it or through it. That’s what the name is about. That’s what we’re about.”

Mindset Evolution will appear at Rock On The Range on Friday, May 17, and Rocklahoma on Saturday, May 25, alongside additional confirmed shows that include:

5/18 Big Flats, NY The Summer Stage with Korn

5/21 Patchogue, NY The Emporium with Buckcherry

5/22 Point Pleasant, NJ Jenks Club with Buckcherry

5/23 New York, NY Irving Plaza with Buckcherry

5/29 Bethlehem, PA Sands Bethlehem Event Ctr with Buckcherry

5/30 Providence, RI Fete Ballroom with Buckcherry

5/31 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino with Buckcherry

FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT:

EYE EMPIRE IS:

Corey Lowery (Bass)
B.C. Kochmit (Guitar)
Donald Carpenter (Vocals)
Ryan Bennett (Drums)

SET LIST WAS AS FOLLOWS:

Ignite (Moment of Impact)

Idiot

Great Deceiver

One Day

More than Fate

War Isn’t Over Yet

I Pray

I had a chance to sit down with singer Donald Carpenter before they hit the stage. Check out chat below.

Dante: How is the tour going so far with VOLBEAT?

Donald Carpenter: It’s going good. Everyone is getting along and we are all having a blast?

Dante: Are you writing new material yet for the next album?

Donald Carpenter: We went into the studio towards the end of last year and we tracked about 15 songs for the next record. So we are about 90% there. We have to shut the machine down before we can get it finished.

Dante: Is their going to be any guest musicians on the next record?

Donald Carpenter: There are a lot of folks we spoke with but it all comes down to logistics and seeing when every one is available. We have been hanging out with our friends in the band Device with David Draiman and the Five Finger Death Punch guys and Rob Caggiano who is in Volbeat now. So anything is possible.

Dante: Is there going to be any difference in the sound of the album?

Donald Carpenter: It’s the same dynamic as the first record. There is heavy songs; there is ballads its going to be Eye Empire.

Dante: The first time I spoke with you was right before your album “Moment Of Impact” was released. At that time you had a hand full of shows booked with no tour dates booked at all. Now two years later you have had some great tours behind you. Are there any shows or tours that stand out the most?

Donald Carpenter: Five Finger Death Punch shows are great. That is a crowd that we can slid right into and fit in with. Obviously Volbeat. We have gotten really close with the bands we have toured with and I think more than anything it’s really important to get along with the bands you are touring with  and their crew and enjoy each others company.

Dante: From the time the band first started until now did you expect to get it this far? What where your expectations?

Donald Carpenter: The only thing we expected was a lot of hard work. We knew this was not going to happen over night. We put our heart and souls into the music and try to make it as honest as possible. However it is received, it’s a blessing to us. We have had a great response from the beginning and everyone that has stuck with us is a die hard.

Dante: Is there anything that you want to say to your fans?

Donald Carpenter: They need to be aware that they have helped us build. We made a conscious effort to hold everyone accountable and work together along with our fans and spread the word. Hopefully they feel that they are just as much a part of this as we are.

FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT:

http://www.eyeempire.com
http://www.twitter.com/eyeempire
http://www.myspace.com/eyeempire
http://www.youtube.com/eyeempire
http://www.reverbnation.com/eyeempire
http://www.flickr.com/eyeempire
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Eye+Empire

AND DON’T FORGET TO LIKE ”ROCKNIGHTMARE.COM”  ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

This was posted on Slayer Webpage http://www.slayer.net/us/news/our-brother-jeff-hanneman-may-he-rest-peace-1964-2013

“Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning near his Southern California home,” the band’s longtime publicist said in a statement. “Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure.”

Slayer guitarist and founding member Jeff Hanneman died earlier today of liver failure. He was 49.

]]> http://rocknightmare.com/2013/05/02/jeff-hanneman-of-slayer-may-he-rest-in-peace-1964-2013/feed/ 0 D.J.Martino JEFF http://rocknightmare.com/2013/05/01/five-finger-death-punch-announce-worldwide-release-of-double-album-in-2-installments-first-release-on-july-23-live-performance-of-new-song-at-the-revolver-golden-gods-awards-this-week/ http://rocknightmare.com/2013/05/01/five-finger-death-punch-announce-worldwide-release-of-double-album-in-2-installments-first-release-on-july-23-live-performance-of-new-song-at-the-revolver-golden-gods-awards-this-week/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 21:46:52 +0000 Dante http://rocknightmare.com/?p=5407 ]]>

Las Vegas, NV — Five Finger Death Punch has announced the band will release their fourth studio record as a double album in two installments with Vol. 1 hitting stores on July 23 and Vol. 2 scheduled for later this fall. Prospect Park will release the albums in North America, Eleven Seven in all other territories. Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory reveals, “We came off the road after a couple of great years of touring and were really amped up to write the 4th record. Everybody was in the right headspace and the band tighter than ever so it was a perfect storm. We jumped in head first and found ourselves 12-13 songs deep fairly quick but were still coming up with better and better material so we looked at each other and said…. ok why stop there ?… let’s keep going. Once we passed the 24th song we knew we’re going to have to do a double album. We had this massive amount of music that’s very dear to us, possibly the best material this band has ever created. At that point there was no way to decide which songs to leave off the album. So we made the decision to release them all.”

The band will be kicking off the new album cycle by introducing the first single, “Lift Me Up” with a live performance featuring a very special surprise guest at Revolver Magazine’s Golden Gods Awards ceremony in Los Angeles this Thursday where the band will appear live alongside Metallica, Stone Sour and Halestorm amongst others. The show will be streaming live on AXS TV and Xbox LIVE:http://bit.ly/13pBfkq. The studio version of the song will premiere in the U.S. on radio on May 13 and will be available for purchase online May 14.

In June, Five Finger Death Punch will return to Europe for a tour of major festivals including Sweden Rock (6/06), Germany’s Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park (6/08 and 6/09) and the U.K.’s Download Festival at Donington Park (6/16) (see full schedule below) concluding the run with a performance at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Ceremony in London.

Upon the band’s return to the U.S., the band will co-headline the 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival alongside Rob Zombie kicking off in San Bernadino, CA at the San Manuel Amphitheatre on June 29. The travelling festival will stage appearances in 26 markets, and the full itinerary can be viewed here:www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com/tour/

Five Finger Death Punch has released three consecutive RIAA gold certified albums for sales exceeding 500,000 copies. The success of The Way of The Fist (2007), War Is The Answer (2009) and American Capitalist (2011), which debuted at number 3 on the Billboard charts in October, 2011, exhibit the band as one of the few in the rock genre to consistently see significant sales both digitally and physically. The band’s ten consecutive Top 10 radio hits – including 2012′s #1 hit “Coming Down – have spawned cumulative single sales of over 4.2 million. Going back to “The Bleeding” in the spring of 2008, Five Finger Death Punch has consistently been one of the most heavily played bands at rock radio.

www.fivefingerdeathpunch.com

Dante: Hey Clinton, thanks for taking the time to talk with me.

Clinton Cunanan: No problem man.

Dante: Tell us about your album?

Clinton Cunanan: Our Album has been out since September. The Album is called “Better Days“. It was released on Megaforce Records/ Thermal Entertainment and we are just really grateful to be able to be doing this. Its 11 songs about my life. It’s about situations and things I had to go through, so this was kind of like my therapy.

Dante: And you also have a new single out right?

Clinton Cunanan: “Writing On The Wall” is our second single from the album. It’s been out for about five weeks now. And it’s doing really well on the charts. I don’t think people realize how much money it takes to be in a band. Let alone to get a song on radio.

Dante: Is having a career in music, is it everything you thought it would be?

Clinton Cunanan: Touring is a way of life. It is not what I thought it would be. It is more work than anything. But it’s also fun being in a new city every night and meeting new people. We did over 230 shows last year. I think we have done over 100 shows this year so far. Thermal Entertainment really has been the key to our success. They trust me on the music side of things and I trust them on the business side of things. it’s a shame it takes so much money for good music to get out and be heard. Because I think people have been kind of brain washed with that they think music is. They are limited to what they hear on the radio because a lot of people will not take the initiative to go out and find new music or go to local shows.

I think everyone that gets into music thinks it all sex, drugs and rock and roll. They think they are going to get Def Leppard rich. But its nothing like that at all. Most of my day consists of about 12 to 15 hours in the van; I sleep about 2 hours a day, responding to emails from radio stations, publicist, management, record label and fans. When we get to the venue we have to deal with corporate sponsors like Jägermeister and sound exchange. We need to do paper work for them. Lining up photo shoots and video shoots. Its non stop. It’s a lot of work on top of trying to find time to write new music.

Dante: Are you writing new music now?

Clinton Cunanan: If you would have asked me that question 3 months ago, I would have told you it was already written. But you have to evolve and as the bands grows you have to grow with it. So right now it’s safe to say I have about 20 to 25 solid ideas. Maybe 10 to 12 songs written. I have to be honest, I don’t know how it’s going to go until we get into the studio and start recording. I think I have some new stuff written but I really don’t know until we get in there. We just need to find the time to get in there and do it. Our tour schedule is so demanding, when you wake up, you start working and when you go to sleep it’s because you passed out.

Dante: A lot of bands would not be that honest. They want you to think it’s all great all the time.

Clinton Cunanan: Anything worth having is worth fighting for and I think that what people like about us.

Dante: What can people expect from Another Lost Year live?

Clinton Cunanan: When we first started out I thought we were one on the more energetic bands until we got our ass handed to us a couple times then we learned how to entertain. that’s what we are there to do. We found out that people like the songs for what there are. And when I go to a show I like to see the bands play the songs the way they are supposed to be conveyed. We adapted that philosophy and we are really high energy and tight. Always expect the unexpected with us. We are always hanging out in the crowd before and after the show. That’s why we are there, because people are coming to see us so we don’t hide in the van. We like to talk and hang out with our fans.

Dante: Is there anything you want to add before we wrap this up?

Clinton Cunanan: If Another Lost Year is not your cup of tea that’s ok. But never stop supporting live original music. There are artist out there baring their heart and souls for everyone to see. Take it for what it is, and if you are sitting at home on a Wednesday night with nothing to do, go to a local music venue and go see a show.

Dante: Hey thank you for your time Clinton.

Clinton Cunanan: No Man, Thank you. Any time.

FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT:

Dante: How did your tour with Volbeat go?

Matt Baird: It was amazing. The shows went great. Their fans were good to us. And the guys in Volbeat are some of the nicest people we have ever played with.  It was really cool.

Dante: Looking back what was the high light of the tour?

Matt Baird: All of the shows were great. I think all were sold out but two. Spoken is a Christian band. We have existed in this band for the purpose to do what god wants us to do and to share it with people. We had so many conversations with people that said to us” you know, I don’t believe in god and I don’t believe in anything you believe in but I love your band and I love your music”. I think that is a special thing when people can look past titles and hear the music. That was one of the most amazing things about this tour. It was great. All of Volbeat’s fans wear so kind to us.

Dante: What inspires your song writing?

Matt Baird: We write songs about life, love, grace and redemption. That’s what our album “Illusion” is about, the first songs that were written were about bitterness and confusion and the last songs written were about grace and redemption. The album became a concept record without us planning on it.

Dante: Do you find it hard to be a Christian band?

Matt Baird: The thing is, we didn’t start out trying to hide the fact that we are all believers. We are who we are. We want our whole lives to be an example of bible not just our band. But I think we deliver our songs in a different way then a lot of the other Christian bands. For us, it’s not just about music. We love writing music and we love playing our songs but we are just lucky enough to have this as our platform. If someone wants to dismiss us because we are a Christian band that’s fine but I would rather them check out our music first then make their decision.

Dante: Some people get turned off by the term or label “Christian band“.

Matt Baird: We are not a band that is pushy about it. I just feel, I would not be bringing any honor to god if I did not say something on stage. And that pretty much consist of “we put our hope in Jesus Christ” and that’s all I really said on the Volbeat tour and that’s all I would say on a Spoken tour as well.

Dante: The Volbeat tour might have been the first time some people have seen you or even heard of you. I know you have been around longer than some people might think. For people that don’t know or might be hearing of you for the first time, can you tell us how long Spoken has been around for?

Matt Baird: We have been a band for 17 years. I started the band when I was 19 years old and went on the road about 8 months after we started the band. Recorded our first album at the end of 1996. It came out in 97 and we have been on tour non stop. We have toured mostly in the Christian market. We have been at it for along time. Now we are with e-One Music and the tour with Volbeat has been the most amazing thing to happen to our career.

Dante: Is there anything you want to say to your fans before we wrap it up?

Matt Baird: Thank you listening and for having any part in what we are doing. It means the world to us that so many people care about what we are doing.

FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT:

http://www.spokenmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/spoken

https://twitter.com/spokenmusic

AND DON’T FORGET TO LIKE ”ROCKNIGHTMARE.COM”  ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

http://www.youtube.com/user/SpokenOfficial