Noisecreep

Tommy Lee on Motley Crue and the End of Albums

Steve Baltin — 2011-06-10T11:00:00+00:00

David Rojas, FilmMagic

Motley Crue hit the road this week to kick off their latest summer extravaganza, which finds the band teaming up with Poison and the New York Dolls. The tour also showcases drummer Tommy Lee in a 360-degree drum rollercoaster. Lee recently spoke with Noisecreep about the Crue legacy, who should be in 'The Dirt' movie, the most likely tour bonding experience this summer, and why he doesn't think he'll ever make another full album.

How much are you looking forward to being on the road?

I'm looking forward to it. I always have fun, dude. It doesn't really matter who we're out with; it just seems like every summer or every other summer we get on a bus and we go around the f---ing world and go rock s---. If you're like a kid it's like going to camp. We have more fun than humans are allowed to have still. I always know that it's gonna be an awesome summer.

Happy Slayer Day! 6/6: Celebrating 25 Years of 'Reign in Blood'

Steve Baltin — 2011-06-06T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Interview, Exclusive

Marty Temme, WireImage

When he was told that Noisecreep was planning to run a tribute to Slayer today, 6/6, Anthrax's Scott Ian wholeheartedly agreed. "Why not? Every day is a good day for Slayer," he said. Yes, any day is a good day to celebrate one of the most influential metal bands of all time. However, this year's Slayer Day is special because it marks the anniversaries of two distinct Slayer milestones.

The first Slayer milestone occurred 30 years ago in 1981, when Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King first formed the group in Huntington Beach, a Southern California coastal town. The duo then invited Tom Araya, who had previously worked with King in Quits, to join them. The rest, of course, is metal history.

Def Leppard's Joe Elliot Talks About Their 'Mirrorball' Live Album

Steve Baltin — 2011-06-02T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Interview, Exclusive

UMe

From decadence and tragedy to sold-out stadiums and international super-stardom, Def Leppard have achieved almost every hard rock milestone over the course of their 30 year career. Surprisingly, the one benchmark they never reached during their phenomenal run of diamond albums and hit singles was a simple live album. Finally, the wait is over: Def Leppard's very first official live record is called 'Mirrorball,' out June 7th.

Why no live album for so long? "We've always just wanted to keep making new music when a tour's finished," frontman Joe Elliott told Noisecreep. "Because we just took a year off, it's the first real break that we've had in 30 years. It gave us the opportunity to actually consider a live album because we had recorded maybe 40, 50 shows during the tour in 2008-2009."

Remembering Slipknot's Paul Gray One Year After His Death

Steve Baltin — 2011-05-24T12:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, Exclusive

Jay West, WireImage

It was one year ago today that Slipknot bassist, co-founder, and songwriter Paul Gray was found dead of an accidental drug overdose in a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa. A year later, his bandmates prepare to soldier on, at least for the moment, with upcoming summer festival performances.

However, the devastating loss of a bandmate and brother is still very evident in interviews with the band. Frontman Corey Taylor has openly questioned the band continuing on without Gray, recently telling a Michigan radio station that "if this tour doesn't work Slipknot might be over." Meanwhile, drummer Joey Jordison has been the biggest proponent of keeping the band going. "As far as I'm concerned, Slipknot's my baby and I have a bunch of songs written," said Jordison. "And I'm in rehearsal right now with all the guys and it's completely on fire." Today, Jordison also penned an emotional open letter to his fallen bandmate on Facebook.

Serj Tankian Brings Rock To the Theater with 'Prometheus Bound' Play

Steve Baltin — 2011-03-28T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Interview, Exclusive

Stefan Gossati, Getty Images

This May, Serj Tankian will be rejoining his System Of A Down band mates for one of this year's most anticipated tours. However, before he takes the stage with System, Tankian is conquering a new world: the theater.

'Prometheus Bound,' Tankian's collaboration with acclaimed playwright Steven Sater, is currently in the middle of its world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Sater previously teamed with pop-rock singer Duncan Sheik for the play 'Spring Awakening,' but says he believes that Tankian is doing something totally unique.

Enter the Boyd: Incubus Singer Talks New Album, Environment

Steve Baltin — 2011-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Interview, Exclusive

Tiffany Rose, WireImage

Incubus have just finished recording their brand-new album, and singer Brandon Boyd says he can't wait for fans to hear the Brendan O'Brien-produced disc. "I think it's really gonna appeal to the people who've been following us a long time. It's continuing on our long and winding road of sharing art with people," Boyd said in a recent chat with Noisecreep. "I'm very excited for people to hear it."

While Boyd is confident that Incubus fans will be as psyched about the new record as he is, the singer pointed out that the album also marks the start of a new chapter for the band. "This new record that we're finishing right now is different from anything that we've done," he said. "It's like that next phase. We're gonna kind of challenge our fans with this one, but I'm excited about that. I think that's what needs to happen."

Ronnie James Dio Tribute to Include Dave Grohl, Rob Halford, More

Steve Baltin — 2011-02-25T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview

Getty Images

Ronnie James Dio's widow Wendy has been very active in keeping the legacy and memory of her iconic late husband alive, including the Stand Up And Shout fund that benefits cancer research. But what she's done so far is just the beginning.

While at a press Feb. 23 conference to announce the nominees for Revolver magazine's third annual Revolver Golden Golds Awards, Wendy -- who was on hand to celebrate the unveiling of the Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award -- told Noisecreep there is a tribute album in the works, among other things.

Megadeth Ready to Move From Grammys to Big Four

Steve Baltin — 2011-02-14T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, Grammy Awards

WBR

Turns out the ninth time was not the charm for Megadeth. The metal heroes were up for yet another Grammy this year, and -- like the previous eight times -- they lost, this time to Iron Maiden. Still, the band was happy to be there and see some friends. "It's great to be here, and I think we're in a great category with a lot of our contemporaries -- most, or all of which, we've been on tour with before," bassist David Ellefson told Noisecreep.

For band leader Dave Mustaine, it was only the second visit to the awards, with 2010 being his first time finally making the trip. Why did he hold out so long? "Our band started off playing music that was actually directly opposed to the establishment; this kind of glitzy stuff," Mustaine admitted. "So we didn't show up the first several nominations. It wasn't proper for our ilk to be here. Now it's like we come because our kids want to be here."

Queensryche Drummer Balances Rock And Video Games

Steve Baltin — 2011-01-25T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, Metal Minutia

Steve Snowden, Getty Images

Like a lot of musicians, Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfeld is a gamer. "I've been a gamer all my life. I was actually playing those earlier versions of Activision stuff when I was a younger kid. I believe my parents bought me something back in my teen years -- and to sort of put that in perspective, I'm 47 right now," Rockenfeld tells Noisecreep. "So I'm a huge gamer, I got my kids here. We do all that stuff, we have every format of game console in my house."

Again, that's normal. But Rockenfeld -- also a successful film scorer -- has taken it a step further, turning his love for games into a side venture. He's laid down drums for the wildly succesful 'Call of Duty: Black Ops' game released last year. For Rockenfeld the dad, it's pretty much a toss up as to which gets him more cool points, playing drums in a hard rock band that's been going for 30 years or the 'Call of Duty' gig.

'Lemmy' Documentary's L.A. Premiere Draws in Rockers

Steve Baltin — 2011-01-14T12:45:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, Movies

Redferns / Getty Images

The documentary 'Lemmy: 49% Motherf---er, 51% Son of a Bitch' premiered last year at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. But any film about Motörhead icon Lemmy Kilmister doesn't really premiere until it hits his adopted hometown of L.A. That finally happened Jan. 13 at L.A.'s Vista Theater.

Several of his friends, including Duff McKagan. Robert Trujillo, Slim Jim Phantom, Ron Jeremy, Steve Vai and Henry Rollins came out to support the rocker who Dave Grohl calls "the baddest mother f---er on the planet" in the film.

Rob Zombie Celebrates Alice Cooper's Rock Hall Nomination

Steve Baltin — 2010-10-04T18:00:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Shows

Noel Vasquez, Getty Images

This has been a big week for metal legend Alice Cooper. The godfather of shock rock finally received a long overdue nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when the 15 nominees were announced earlier this week. Last night at Los Angeles' Gibson Amiptheater, Cooper and longtime friend Rob Zombie kicked off their Halloween Hootenanny Tour, a must for any fan of big rock spectacles.

Cooper started the theatrical extravaganza with a 75-minute set that drew heavily on the hits that got him that HOF nomination. Featuring classics 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' and 'I'm Eighteen' early, Cooper and his four-piece band continued to showcase his musical prowess while displaying the iconic stage prowess whose influence is not only seen in acts like Zombie and Marilyn Manson, but can even be found now in Lady Gaga's show.

Linkin Park Open Up Their Minds for New Album

Steve Baltin — 2010-09-20T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, New Music

Klaus Thymann

Linkin Park once again teamed with super producer Rick Rubin for their new 'A Thousand Suns' album -- to absolutely dazzling results. Arguably their most mature release, it's a compelling work both sonically and lyrically. How did they achieve these results?

Noisecreep spoke with co-producer and key sonic architect Mike Shinoda about the making of the album and how Linkin's references have grown considerably. Despite some very hippie approaches that led to 'A Thousand Suns,' the band hasn't gone tie-dyed.

Papa Roach Mix Past, Present, Future on New Live Album

Steve Baltin — 2010-09-14T08:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview

Neil Lupin, Redferns

Papa Roach's new album, 'Time For Annihilation,' is a marker for the band. "It marks the decade milestone for us," lead singer Jacoby Shaddix tells Noisecreep when we visit with him and guitarist Jerry Horton in the L.A. offices of their management company.

In addition to being their first live album, featuring nine Papa Roach classics like 'Last Resort,' 'Between Angels And Insects,' and 'Forever' live, the record also includes five new tracks, kicking off with the electro-flavored 'Burn.'

Linkin Park, 'The Catalyst' -- Exclusive Behind the Scenes Photos

Steve Baltin — 2010-08-30T16:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Exclusive, New Music

Warner Bros.

'The Catalyst,' the lead track from Linkin Park's forthcoming 'A Thousand Suns' album, might be the most musically sophisticated piece of music the band has done yet -- an intricate, complex wave of emotion that moves through multiple shifts in tempo, from the aggressive beat throughout to the beautiful piano denouement. The video appropriately reflects -- showing a post-apocalyptic scene that involves lots of moody lighting -- a hooded Mike Shinoda looking rather sinister throughout.

Noisecreep got some exclusive behind the scenes photos from the making of the clip, which was once again directed by Mr. Hahn, who filled us in a little on the pics. "The irony of making the video was that the inspiration for the colors came from the Color Festival in India called Holi," Mr. Hahn explains to Noisecreep of the explosions of color that come near the end of the video. "People collect these pigments throughout the year to release them in this festival as a celebration of life and tribute to Vishnu. When it came time to shoot these scenes, there wasn't much celebration."

Baseball's Randy Johnson Showcases Rock Photography From Ozzfest 2010

Steve Baltin — 2010-08-20T14:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, Festival

Christian Petersen, Getty Images

A five-time Cy Young Award winner with one of the most feared fastballs in baseball history, Randy Johnson has stood 60 feet from the likes of Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and more of baseball's most prolific hitters. He's pitched under the spotlight of the World Series, faced the New York media as part of the Yankees and formed one of the most dominant pitching duos in decades with Arizona Diamondback teammate Curt Schilling.

In short, he's handled every kind of pressure and obstacle thrown at him on his way to the Hall of Fame, which is a virtual certainty. But he's never been in the pit at Ozzfest.

Scorpions Honor Ronnie James Dio In Los Angeles

Steve Baltin — 2010-08-03T17:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Shows

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

With most of the members in their early 60s, Germany's teutonic titans Scorpions have already announced their current world tour will be their last. And while the band is receiving lots of love on the road, at their sold-out show at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater they spread the love around, paying homage to fallen friend Ronnie James Dio, who passed away earlier this year from stomach cancer.

Before 'Send Me an Angel,' which frontman Klaus Meine dedicated to Dio, he spoke of the late metal icon, calling him "one of the great singers in rock 'n' roll and a close friend of ours." In L.A. where Dio was just honored with a public memorial his legacy, the impact is still greatly felt, and the crowd shared Meine's sentiments, breaking into an impromptu Dio chant as Meine encouraged them, first holding his hand to his ears to yell louder and then tapping his chest multiple times as the chant grew.

Ozzy Rocks Intimate Show at Sunset Strip's House of Blues

Steve Baltin — 2010-06-23T10:00:00+00:00

Ozzy Osbourne is a guy who likes to do everything larger than life -- even if that means sometimes scaling down. To wit, Ozzy could rock L.A.'s Staples Center or Forum, but you can see his Ozzness in an arena any time. However, seeing one of metal's biggest icons in a small, packed club doesn't happen often. It did June 20 though, as to celebrate his new album, 'Scream,' Osbourne packed a thousand or so sweaty, yelling, devil horns-holding up fans into the Sunset Strip's House of Blues for an hour-long look at why he is a metal legend.

Opening with 'Bark at the Moon,' Osbourne seemed inspired by the small setting, yelling at fans between every song to "make some mother f---ing noise," and saying, "I can't hear you," until they were worked into a frenzy.

Avenged Sevenfold Guitarist Reminded How to Treat Fans by Baseball

Steve Baltin — 2010-06-14T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, Metal Minutia

Avenged Sevenfold have a special relationship with their fans. As we told you before, it was those fans that kept the band going following the death last year of drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan. What does the Orange County band attribute that bond to? For one thing, it's realness. "I think there's a whole group of kids out there that don't relate to the glitz and glamour of hanging out in clubs and partying all the time," guitarist Zacky Vengeance tells Noisecreep. "So I think some people are just more real than that and I think our fans are those kind of kids that need something to relate to and I think we're the band to do it."

Another thing is making themselves accessible to those fans. "I remember what it felt like when I was young, and I looked up to someone and they would pay me just an ounce of attention," he recalls. "And some of the bands I listened to when I was young probably never even sold any albums, but it didn't matter to me. If I'd go up and say great show, it would be amazing that they even would acknowledge me."

Avenged Sevenfold: When Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan Died, It Was Over

Steve Baltin — 2010-06-01T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: New Music, Grammy Awards

Every band handles tragedy differently. The Who of course went on when drummer Keith Moon died in 1978. Led Zeppelin, however, decided to call it quits following the demise of drummer John Bonham in 1980. Avenged Sevenfold are moving forward, with a new hit song, 'Nightmare,' and album due in July of the same name.

But guitarist Zacky Vengeance tells Noisecreep that when drummer Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan passed away last year, the band was finished. "When we called each other and got the call that Jimmy had died, literally it all ended right there," Vengeance, whose real name is Zachary Baker, says. "Everything we've ever known as human beings, everything we've ever known as a band, changes at that moment, and you can't think clearly. You can't see anything, you can't talk, you can't make any sense of anything. It was just done. You don't care about music, there's just nothing."

Deftones Video Interview -- Part Two

Steve Baltin — 2010-05-06T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Interview, Exclusive Video

As we told you in part one of the Deftones' video interview, the cross-genre hard rockers are feeling really good about things, having a new album, 'Diamond Eyes,' on the way after years of no new studio music thanks to the accident that befell bassist Chi Cheng. But not only is the group feeling good, they are feeling downright rejuvenated. "To me, it feels like a new band, 'cause we feel so excited about this record," bassist Sergio Vega told Noisecreep.

Having a new member has infused them with new energy and allowed them to mix things up musically. "It was definitely like new life coming, just having another opinion of someone that's close [to] us , our friend, but still came from outside perspective," vocalist Chino Moreno says, concurring with Vega. "This was kind of the first time I've ever had someone in the band be there with me performing all my vocals and he was pretty much in the vocal room the whole time. And it was really good to have him to bounce ideas off of."