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AP Music Awards Babymetal & Rob Halford to host

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THE JOURNEYS ALTERNATIVE PRESS MUSIC AWARDS

FUELED BY MONSTER ENERGY

Announces More Special Appearances, Guests and Performances +

 First 2016 Collaborative Performance:

BABYMETAL + Judas Priest’s ROB HALFORD

Official Announcement Video

 

New Performances to Include:
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL* MACHINE GUN KELLY
STEPHAN JENKINS of THIRD EYE BLIND * MATTY MULLINS of MEMPHIS MAY FIRE * MAX * JENNA MCDOUGALL of TONIGHT ALIVE * EDDY BREWERTON of MOOSE BLOOD
… and more to be announced! 

TICKETS & VIP PIT EXPERIENCES ON SALE NOW 

ONLY 30 DAYS LEFT FOR FAN VOTING: WWW.ALTPRESS.COM/APMAS

2016 APMAS * JULY 18, 2016 * COLUMBUS, OH

LIVE FROM SCHOTTENSTEIN CENTER

 

Each year, the Journeys Alternative Press Music Awards, Fueled by Monster Energy brings fans exciting collaborative performances from today’s most celebrated alternative music artists. Previous performances combining the talents of Slash and Joan Jett & The BlackheartsAsking Alexandria and Korn vocalist Jonathan Davis; Falling In Reverse, Coolio and Tyler Carter of Issues; Halestorm and Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor and more have dazzled audiences worldwide. The 2016 APMAs will present even more of these incredible performances — the first of which will feature none other than legendary heavy metal vocalist Rob Halford of Judas Priest and pop metal phenomenons and Best International Band nominees BABYMETAL! Combining raw 1970’s-era classic heavy metal influences with fresh modern visuals and Japanese pop styles, this performance will be a can’t-miss moment amidst the evening’s festivities.

 

In an official Alternative Press videoannouncement (watch here), BABYMETAL‘s SU-METALstates, “I am still at a loss of what to feel, but to be able to perform together with the metal god, I am in disbelief… I know it will be an amazing experience for us and I am really looking forward to it.”

 

BABYMETAL, the breakout all-girl-fronted Japanese heavy metal/teen-pop hybrid group featuring 18-year-old SU-METAL and 16-year-olds YUIMETAL and MOAMETAL, backed by a four-piece band, released their sophomore album Metal Resistance this past April (debuting atop Billboard’s “World Albums” chart and iTunes’ “Top Heavy Metal Albums” chart) and took the world by storm when they made their U.S. late-night TV debut onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert (April 5).

 

Rob Halford of Judas Priest defines the ideals, imagery and musicality of heavy metal. He has become an icon of the industry and Judas Priest have reigned as one of the most influential and popular metal bands of all time since their formation in 1969. From one decade to the next, Halford has led the way with an aggressive, yet melodic vocal delivery and a ferocious scream that could crack the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. After their groundbreaking 1990 album,Painkiller, Priest and Halford parted company for a few years, but in 2004, Halford resumed his role as frontman with Judas Priest and they have continued to record head-banging, jaw-dropping metal and perform sold-out concerts for arena and stadium audiences across the world.

 

Halford adds, “It’s really cool to hear and watch such a strong young Japanese metal band make solid growth in the world with such unique conviction and invite me to head bang along with them for this special appearance. Further proof of the continuing power exchange from the roots of metal into the future metalsphere!”

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This year’s APMAs, hosted by Alex Gaskarth and Jack Barakat of eight-time AP cover stars All Time Low, will broadcast live the evening of July 18 from the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio (schottensteincenter.com). The APMAs are offering a “punk-rock convention” as an alternative to the Republican National Convention taking place in the magazine’s hometown of Cleveland that night. The star-studded red carpet will once again be hosted by infectious frontman Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die and macabre beauty Ash Costello of New Years Day. Fans can watch the red carpet from their mobile devices via Facebook live stream with APTV correspondent Nick MajorRED CARPET HOSTS ANNOUNCED

 

MORE PERFORMANCES AND APPEARANCES!

In addition to the collaborative performance from BABYMETAL and Judas Priest‘s Rob Halford, Dashboard Confessional will take the stage, plus special guest performances including Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind, Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive, Machine Gun Kelly, MAX, Eddy Brewerton of Moose Blood and Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire. Additional special guest appearances will be made by Pierce The Veil, Motionless In White, Jarrod Alonge, Telle Smith of The Word Alive, Bradley Walden of Emarosa, Garret Rapp of The Color Morale, Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills, Brenton Dean of Holy White Hounds, Matt Brandyberry of From Ashes To New, Real Friends, 3OH!3 and Killswitch Engage. More guests appearances to be announced shortly.

 

Other 2016 APMAs performers include platinum-selling headliners A Day To Remember, Good Charlotte, Yellowcard, Of Mice & Men, Papa Roach, Issues, the Maine, Mayday Paradeand Beartooth, with more artists still to be announced. The 2016 APMAs also will feature a special appearance from Spencer Chamberlain and Aaron Gillespie of Underøath. This year’s Icon Award, presented by Equal Vision Records/MerchNOW, will be awarded to platinum-selling rock legend Marilyn Manson.

 

ONLY 30 DAYS LEFT TO VOTE!

Visit the APMAs Vans Voting Site at altpress.com/apmasvote2016 to check out all of this year’s nominees and vote for your favorites now! Voting has become an international phenomenon, with ballots coming in from over 130 countries. Also, visit this location for information regarding future performing artists, honorees and presenter announcements, tickets and VIP packages, pre-show parties, red carpet appearances and beyond.

 

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Alternative Press Music Awards tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster here. VIP experience packages are available via SoundRink-An Experience Company-and will include limited merchandise, elite access to the red carpet and prime indoor seating and VIP meet-and-greets. The VIP Pit Experience is for the loudest, most energetic fan of the APMAs. This is the best experience for the fan who wants to be so close to the action that they’re a part of it, themselves. Tickets are extremely limited! The VIP Pit Experience is located in the center of the largest stage the APMAs has ever had. The stage features a large V-thrust that makes every seat the best seat in the house. Pick up your VIP Pit Experience tickets now viawww.altpress.com/pit.

 

 

Last year’s trending event earned the title of “The GRAMMYs of Alternative Music” from TIME Magazine. The 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards achieved over one million views on AXS TV and over three million views on YouTube. Re-live 2015’s best moments via the highlight reelhere. The APMAs have featured performances by some of today’s biggest rock artists and bona fide legends-from Fall Out Boy, Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco and Paramore’s Hayley Williams to Weezer, Joan Jett and Guns N’ Roses co-founder Slash.

 

Building upon the success of last year’s event, the APMAs is thrilled to once again be supported by returning title sponsor Journeys, a leader in the teen specialty retail scene focused on lifestyle-driven branded footwear and accessories in over 800 stores across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. In addition to Journeys, the APMAs also welcomes fellow sponsors Monster Energy, CreativeLive, DW Drums, CD Baby, Disc Makers, Rise Records, Eleven Seven Music, Better Noise Records, Musicians Institute, EarthQuaker Devices, Razor & Tie, Hopeless Records, Sub City, Roadrunner Records, Fueled By Ramen, Ernie Ball, Epitaph Records, Equal Vision Records, MerchNOW, Vans, Fearless Records, Jeffree Starr Cosmetics, AKT, SharpTone, Lovers Are Lunatics, Entertainment One, Another Century, Pure Noise Records and SoundRink.

 

Don’t miss the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards and your chance to cast your vote for your favorite bands! Check altpress.com/apmas over the coming weeks for new announcements and information.

 

The APMAs are produced by Mike Shea, Joe Scarpelli, Josh Bernstein, Kevin Lyman and Marc Grant.

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CD Reviews

Ministry – HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES

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As we near the collapse of mankind and the imminent doom of our political system, a perfect stage has been set for the outspoken rebels to flood the airwaves with dissident upheaval bathed in musical bliss. With the end looming, no greater landscape could welcome the reemergence of the enigmatic Al Jourgensen and company with their latest release, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, via Nuclear Blast Records. Scheduled for a March 1st 2024 release, Uncle Al, along with guitarist Cesar Soto, Paul D’Amour, formerly of TOOL, on bass, John Bechdel on keys, Roy Mayorga (ex-STONE SOUR) on drums, and newly added guitarist Monte Pittman, form the current incarnation of the long-lived Ministry.

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This album is an open-book commentary on our American society at large, bathed in slow-burn angst and distortion injected with punk rock/thrash riffs and samples galore.

Within the opening seconds of track one, a female voice proclaims, “What was once forbidden becomes fringe, and what was once fringe becomes mainstream.” Soon Al’s vocals take over with a distorted and effect heavy declaration of “horny little boys filled with hormones and hate, waging war on women ‘’cause they can’t get a date,” thus laying the groundwork for the entire album. As “B.D.E.” (Big Dick Energy) continues, a heavy yet simplistic guitar riff drives the song forward while increasing the energy level and tempo. Al’s vocals continue with his immediate, recognizable attitude and tone, stating, “No one can justify the toxic behavior.”

“Goddamn White Trash” is perhaps the most accessible and rythematic song on the release. It has hints of the Psalm 69 days of the band. Chants of “USA, USA” ring out along side screeching guitar noise reminiscent of Mike Scaccia’s playing style.

Track three is titled “Just Stop Oil,” and it dives into yet another realm of political advocacy. Jourgensen delivers, “Dehumanization at a cellular level. Policy set by the corporate devils, There must be resistance, we cannot be silenced, There is the existence of possible violence” in a growled whisper.

On the track “Aryan Embarrassment,”  we are treated to a none-more-fitting guest appearance from what I believe is activist and Dead Kennedys front man Jello Biafra, who delivers a rap-style series of vocal lines backed by a driving rhythm. Jello wails, “How on Earth did all this happen? Plagues of militantly stupid” Followed by “Scamming on the punk scene.  Oi, oi, oi. Ain’t proud of you boys at all.”

Another standout track is “New Religion” which starts with a classic industrial riff and buries itself in the repetitive, slow-burn heaviness that has become the Ministry standard as of late. Followed by “It’s Not Pretty,” which opens as a haunting acoustic piece that I imagine being set in a post apocalyptic landscape with the reverberating lyrics “It’s not pretty. This is the end of the world to me. This is the end of society.”

“Cult of Suffering” strays from the format of the balance of the album and could be firmly placed on an Alabama 3 album, and it may feel at home on a Surgical Meth Machine release.

Rounding out the album is a little ditty called “Ricky’s Hand.” This is a synth pop throwback to the early days of Ministry and leaves us longtime fans eager to hear the longtime teased rerecording of some of the very early Ministry material. This track has a Devo, Information Society, and even Depeche Mode feel to it and is a perfect bookend to a solid release from an iconic band.

Ministry will be on tour throughout the summer with Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and Helmet.

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CD Reviews

Candlebox – Long Goodbye Album Review

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Candlebox Long Goodbye album cover 2023

Candlebox is back to say good-bye with their swan song album entitled The Long Goodbye. This release is touted as the last album from the band before they call it quits. With that said, you would have expected a phoned-in, half-assed attempt by a tired band trying to fulfill contractual obligations. However, this is the farthest thing from what is contained on this album. It is chocked full of well-produced, mature, well-crafted songs that have grimy parts coupled with melody, punk-rock, and faint hints of their grunge roots.

If I were to wrap this album up into one neat package of words, I would say that it has the musical prowess of the incredibly remarkable King’s X, married to the influential sound of Jack Black and the White Stripes, with Muse taking the lead on production and arrangements.

The 10-track, Don Miggs produced album kicks off with “Punks”, a high-energy rock track that opens with the hard strum of an acoustic guitar and then blasts off into a bass-heavy Green Day-style rhythm. This track showcases lead vocalist Kevin Martin’s abilities, especially the scream that is buried in the mix around the two-minute mark. Not to be outdone, there is some noisy grunge guitar squeal at 2:30 as the chorus kicks back in that made me rewind the track three or four times just to hear it again.

“What Do You Need” is the second track on the album; it is built on swagger and groove with a mid-song break of guitar noise and dissonance that would have made Kurt Cobain proud.

Next up is a track called “Elegante”, which has a lush and, dare I say, morose feel. It is followed by “I Should Be Happy”, a catchy track where the guitar should have been thrust forward in the mix. The fifth offering is a track called “Nails on a Chalkboard”, and it stands apart from some of the other songs as it takes you in a bit of a different, more mellow direction as it drops the tempo with a clean piano running throughout.

“Ugly” is another standout selection on this release, where we find the lyrics proclaiming , “Ugly people saying ugly things to pretty people doing the same. It’s pretty easy to go insane when you see the ugly in everything. The track “Maze” follows as an emotional acoustic ditty.

“Cellphone Jesus” is track eight of this collection, and it is a quirky adventure of a song with lyrics such as “Pick up your cell phone, Jesus. You got a world full of need ya’s.”

Rounding out the album is “Hourglass”, a fitting departure for a band whose youthful aggression and urgency saw them tackle the music industry in the early 1990s while still teenagers. Their songs “You”, “Change”, and the huge hit “Far Behind” became staples on rock radio. Those songs and more will live on in infamy long after the band plays their final note. Kevin Martin, lead vocalist and songwriter, said, “Our legacy is being a band that followed our own path and did what we chose to do the way we wanted to. We did it on our own terms.”

In addition to the release of The Long Goodbye, Rhino will spotlight Candlebox’s early years with a 7-LP vinyl boxed set, The Maverick Years, due out September 22nd, featuring newly remastered versions of all three studio albums released on Maverick (Candlebox, Lucy, and Happy Pills) as double LPs, plus a single album with more than a dozen previously unreleased recordings only available in the collection.

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Concert Reviews

Mudvayne The Psychotherapy Sessions tour

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Mudvayne made their way through Pittsburgh with a stop at The Amphitheater at Star Lake as part of The Psychotherapy Sessions tour with four other bands who chose not to let media outlets cover them without individual clearance, which is an extreme rarity in the business when you are covering the tour.

The first opening band, which is fronted by two female vocalists, played their set to what could not have been more than a hundred people in a pavilion that has a capacity of near 22,000 people. Much of the same scenario played out for the second support act.

The venue was upgrading every person who had a lawn ticket to seats under the pavilion. They had people stationed around handing out the tickets, and the employees at the gates were telling everyone to go get their free upgrades at certain tables. The word was that they were handing out free tickets a few nights before at the Pantera and Lamb of God show.

The third opener finally had a sizable crowd, as they are typically a club and mid-size venue band, but their brand of blood and gore fell flat in the large space and the daylight. Though they sounded better than I have heard them sound, the energy was lost in the distance from the crowd.

Mudvayne Chad Gray By Josh Drespling For Empire Extreme

Up next was the “co-headliner”. They sounded decent with their revamped line-up, and the songs brought back some nostalgia for that late 90s nu-metal sound. The lead vocalist seemed like a “Fiend” with an “I O U Nothing” attitude. “Something Told Me” the entire band was “Loco”, and probably “Drove” a “Big Truck”. Nothing is going to “Sway” me, as I know these are “Dark Days” for the industry, and perhaps it’s just “Another Nail in The Coffin.”

Finally, the headliner, Mudvayne, took to the stage and sounded amazing. There has been some trepidation and clamoring that vocalist Chad Grey was not performing well live. I’m here to say that Chad and the rest of the band were on point, sounded tight, and were well rehearsed. I don’t know if they were out of sync at the onset of the tour, but tonight in Pittsburgh, they were on top of their game. They opened their set with the hit “Not Falling”. They followed up with “Under My Skin,” which is a off-the-beaten-path song from their L.D. 50 release from over 20 years ago. They also performed “Internal Primates Forever,” also from the L.D. 50 release, as part of the six tracks from that album.

Mudvayne Chad Gray By Josh Drespling For Empire Extreme

The band changed direction with another hit track “World So Cold”. Following in order were “A New Game”, “Severed”, “Death Blooms”, and “Fish Out of Water”. Chad screamed, “All work and no play makes me a dull boy, as the band tore into the track “Dull Boy” from the 2008 album The New Game.

“Determined” and “Nothing to Gein” preceded an energetic encore of the definitive “Dig” and crowd favorite “Happy?”.

Overall, a great performance and a selection of songs that spanned their entire discography. Here’s to hoping there is a new release in their future, and you should get out to this show; it was super entertaining. Who knows? You may just get upgraded to the front row.

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