Right now, we're about eight miles high. No, we're not mixing V8, meth and acid anymore (we quit that last week, and damn have we been vitamin deficient). We're actually in a plane on our way to Los Angeles to attend the Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which take place tomorrow night. While we're there we'll be catching up with the metal elite -- Megadeth, Killswitch Engage, Suicide Silence, Hatebreed, All That Remains, Slipknot, Machine Head, Devildriver, etc... -- and in the days ahead we hope to have all sorts of exclusive content to post, including interviews, behind-the-scenes reports a review of the performers and a breakdown of who won what at the awards ceremony.
Until then, take a moment to catch up on some of the highlights you might have missed last week. The two main guys from Seventh Void (Type O Negative guitarist Kenney Hickey and drummer Johnny Kelly) stepped in front of the camera for an exclusive video interview (catch part 1 and Part 2). Click "more" to see our other big posts. Read more...
There's no disputing that Papa Roach are still kicking ass. Their new album, Metamorphosis, debuted at #8 on the Billboard album chart, with an 18 percent sales increase over their 2006 record The Paramour Sessions. In other words, at a time when economic woes and increased filesharing is causing most bands to sell fewer albums, Papa Roach are actually inspiring more fans to buy their new album. Credit some of this to the band's catchy and distinctly non-metal single "Lifeline," which reached #1 on the Rock singles chart and #4 on the Alternative chart. MTV2 is playing the crap out of the song's video, wich was directed by Chris Sims (Queens of the Stone Age, Jimmy Eat World).
The only remaining question is do Papa Roach still matter to metal audiences and is Metamorphosis actually a metalmorphosis of sorts? In some ways it's an angrier, more pointed album that the band's last one, addressing the dire housing situation, the shattered banking system, war and the need for political change. Songs like "Days of War," which Shaddix calls a "baby puncher" and "Hollywood Whore" are edgy and aggressive, suggesting the metal still matter to these guys. However, some find the band's keen interest in fashion, and focus on melody over misanthropy to be distasteful.
HeadbangersBlog.com hooked up with Shaddix to talk about the metamorphosis Papa Roach has undergone in the past year, his new focus on social issues, 47 days of sobriety, the optimism that now drives his life and why metal fans should still dig Papa Roach. Click "more" to stream or download the podcast. Read more...
