THROWBACK THURSDAY - HEAVY COVERS

What does one make of cover songs?  It seems like a common response to most covers is, "this is terrible, the original is so much better".  Well obviously!  99 percent of the time a cover is not going to be as great as the original, but it seems to me that many people are not looking at it from the right perspective.  Instead of shitting on a cover song for not being as good as the original, people should really consider how cool it is that a classic song is being covered in the first place.  Heavy metal has its fair share of classics, and they're classics for a reason; they were influential.  Cover songs are interesting to listen to because it gives the listener an opportunity to discover some of the influences of their favorite bands.  Below are a collection of cover songs that I found to be particularly interesting.

1. Upon a Burning Body - 5 Minutes Alone (Pantera Cover)

Pantera is easily one of the most influential metal bands from the 1990's.  5 Minutes Alone is easily one of their crunchiest tunes.  It's only natural that the Texas based deathcore act Upon a Burning Body would cover this song. This is a cover that definitely did the original justice.  And the fact that they gave the late Dimebag Darrell a shout out in the middle of the the song is nothing short of heartwarming.  Check it out!

Links: Pantera Facebook // Official Website // iTunes
Upon A Burning Body Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

2. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Paranoid (Black Sabbath Cover)

Boy has this cover gotten shit over the years.  It's understandable; how can The Dillinger Escape Plan cover a Black Sabbath song?  Part of the beauty of this cover comes from the fact that they didn't try to stay true to the original.  Dillinger has their own unique sound and it seems as though they stick to that even while doing covers.  Yeah, it's gonna piss off some old school metal fans but this is a cover definitely worth checking out.

Links: The Dillinger Escape Plan Facebook // Twitter // Official Website
Black Sabbath Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

3. Periphery - New Millenium Cyanide Christ (Meshuggah Cover)

Djent dj djent dj djent dj djent djent djent bowww... Well, you know where I'm going with this.  Periphery covering a classic Meshuggah song, how appropriate!  Meshuggah is one of those bands that only comes around once in a life time.  They are responsible for the creation of the sound that is commonly referred to as djent, and Periphery is partially responsible for bringing that sound into the mainstream.  Two great bands, one awesome tone, and one excellent cover!

Links: Meshuggah Facebook // Twitter // iTunes
Periphery Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

4. As I Lay Dying - Electric Eye (Judas Priest Cover)

"A Judas Priest cover? The nerve!  These little metalcore kids can't possible cover a song written by the metal gods". - elitist douche.

Yes, Judas Priest is awesome, but so is this cover.  In the contemporary metal scene, As I Lay Dying is one helluva band.  If anyone were to cover a Priest song I'm glad it was them.  As I Lay Dying demonstrates impressive technical skill, and as a whole, they are capable of covering some of the best heavy metal tunes.

Links: Judas Priest Facebook // Official Website // Twitter // iTunes 
As I Lay Dying Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

5. Children of Bodom - Aces High (Iron Maiden Cover)

If you spit in the air the chances are it's going to land on somebody that's an Iron Maiden fan.  Seriously though, who wasn't influenced by this band?  Just about every power metal and melodic death metal band was, therefore it wouldn't be surprising to hear band that embodies elements from both of those sub-genres cover a classic Maiden tune.  Children of Bodom not only did the original justice with this cover, they made it their own.  The keyboard especially added a nice touch.

Links: Iron Maiden Facebook // Twitter // iTunes // Official Website
Children of Bodom Facebook // Official Website // Merch

6. Killswitch Engage - Holy Diver (Dio Cover)

It takes guts to even decide to record a cover of Dio.  The man's voice is legendary.  Well in 2007 Killswitch Engage pulled it off, successfully.  Obviously no mortal man can top Dio, but Howard Jones did a damn good job as far as cover standards are concerned (and I don't mean that in a condescending way, Howard is an excellent vocalist).  The cover was very well received by critics and fans, and six years later Killswitch is still playing it live.  I can't speak for the masses, but I hope it helped to turn the younger generation of metal heads onto the classic metal act that is Dio.

Links: DIO Facebook // Twitter // iTunesKillswitch Engage Facebook // Twitter // iTunes      

TIM LAMBESIS (AS I LAY DYING) FACING $2,000,000 CIVIL SUIT FROM EX-WIFE

Tim Lambesis is a guy with an unpleasant life. After allegedly hiring someone to kill his estranged wife, paying massive bail, blaming it on the roids, being in and out of court for awhile, and facing the very real possibility of going to jail - there's a cherry on top. The legends at Lambgoat have found that said estranged wife is suing him. The cost?

Two million dollars. She's seeking the money for health and legal expenses in a case opposing the trial for Tim's solicitation charges. Both will likely take place in Spring of next year. We'll keep you up to date.

In the mean time, here's some Death Metal and Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Links: Facebook // Twitter

TIM LAMBESIS PLEADS NOT GUILTY

Varied opinions have been spewing since the headlines first emerged in May that Tim Lambesis (As I Lay Dying, Austrian Death Machine, Pyrithion) allegedly attempted to have his estranged wife murdered. If you've managed to miss the fallout since, you can catch up here.

After returning to court this week there have been a few new developments. Once again, he has pled not guilty, sticking to the previous defense that his "thought processes were devastatingly affected by his steroid use". And yet again, it has worked in his favor.

According to the champs at Lambgoat (who had an anonymous source in attendance), a January 15th date has been set for the ongoing trial. If it isn't settled by that point, Lambesis may return to court in March. Stay tuned for more.

Links: Facebook // Twitter

TIM LAMBESIS (AS I LAY DYING) RETURNS TO COURT THIS WEEK FOR ARRAIGNMENT

If you're ignorant to the dealings of the Tim Lambesis case, read up here, here, and here to catch up.

There haven't been any real developments since May, until now. The original arraignment date of October 22nd was pushed back due to scheduling conflicts with Lambesis' attorney and will now take place November 13th... this week. It's possible the case will be resolved beforehand if a plea bargain is reached. Stay tuned for more info, which is sure to come streaming in later this week.

Links: Facebook // Twitter

TIM LAMBESIS MAKES BAIL

Looks like Tim Lambesis has managed to cough up the $2 million dollars and post bail. He is no longer being held at the Vista Detention Facility. This has been confirmed by multiple sources including Alternative Press and Metal Injection.

For those who honestly haven't heard, Tim was taken into custody after allegedly hiring a hitman to have his estranged wife murdered. You can catch up on the situation by reading here and here. Stay tuned for further details on the case.

Links: Facebook // Twitter

TIM LAMBESIS BLAMES THE ROIDS

A new video report has surfaced in the Tim Lambesis case, detailing his revised defense strategy (roids) through new attorney Tom Warwick (pictured below) along with his lowered bail. I personally take all US media news stories with a grain of salt (or the whole shaker in some cases) but the details presented from the case here are fairly straight forward.

You can watch the story from CBS8 right here.

Links: Facebook // Twitter

AS I LAY DYING'S TIM LAMBESIS ARRESTED OVER MURDER PLOT / THE BAND RESPONDS

“To our fans,

As we post this, the legal process is taking its course and we have no more information than you do. There are many unanswered questions, and the situation will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. We’ll keep you informed as best we can.

Our thoughts right now are with Tim, his family, and with everyone else affected by this terrible situation – and with our fans, whom we love and draw strength from.

Thank you for understanding, and as always, for your support of As I Lay Dying.

- Jordan, Nick, Phil, and Josh“

Varied opinions have been spewing since the headlines first emerged that Tim Lambesis (As I Lay Dying, Austrian Death Machine, Pyrithion) allegedly attempted to have his estranged wife murdered. The facts are Tim was arrested Tuesday afternoon in an Oceanside, CA store and booked into jail the same night. He will have his arraignment today. According to reports, he initially attempted to solicit an undercover detective to do the deed on May 2nd (while touring in Asia).

This whole situation seems out of character for Tim Lambesis. He's a fairly outspoken christian with adopted Ethiopian children and a clothing label set up exclusively to help kids. His wife filed for divorce earlier this year, but would that really trigger a man like Tim to such actions? I'm not the judge here. But if it's true, it would be incredibly stupid / callous of him.

This will no doubt ruin his career if he is found to be guilty, taking down multiple metal acts and organizations in the process. Not to mention Tim is apparently worth $14 million dollars (according to Celebrity Net Worth).

If he's somehow found to be innocent, this will all serve as very nice press for himself and his music. It will also make me feel better about my recent purchase of the Pyrithion EP. Only time will tell... stay tuned.

If you're honestly feeling up to it after reading all of that, you can check some music from his various projects down below.

Links: Facebook // Twitter

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE TO TOUR USA WITH AS I LAY DYING AND MORE...

After their crazy European tour with Sylosis and Heartist, Killswitch Engage will be traveling around the US on an even bigger tour! This time they'll hit the road with metalcore legends As I Lay Dying along with support from two more fantastic bands being Miss May I and Affiance!

The tour will begin at the end of May and will endure until the middle of the summer in July! After the comeback of original vocalist Jesse Leech, Killswitch Engage just released a new brilliant album "Disarm The Descent". You can take a look at our official review right here.

Be sure to check the dates along with music from the bands down below. Get stoked and go purchase your ticket for one of the sickest tours of this upcoming summer!

-MATTIA

________________ 

Thu/May-30 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
Fri/May-31 Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
Sat/Jun-01 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Mon/Jun-03 Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House Of Blues
Tue/Jun-04 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Thu/Jun-06 Richmond, VA @ The National
Fri/Jun-07 Syracuse, NY @ F Shed at the Market
Sat/Jun-08 Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Sun/Jun-09 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
Tue/Jun-11 New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
Wed/Jun-12 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore - Silver Spring
Sat/Jun-15 Guelph, ON @ Guelph Concert Theatre
Sun/Jun-16 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
Mon/Jun-17 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
Tue/Jun-18 Sauget, IL @ Pop's Nightclub
Thu/Jun-20 Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
Fri/Jun-21 Magna, UT @ The Great Salt Air
Sat/Jun-22 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
Sun/Jun-23 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
Tue/Jun-25 San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
Thu/Jun-27 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Fri/Jun-28 Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House
Sat/Jun-29 Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium
Mon/Jul-01 Fargo, ND @ The Venue
Tue/Jul-02 Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium
Wed/Jul-03 Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
Fri/Jul-05 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Sat/Jul-06 Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues
Sun/Jul-07 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
Mon/Jul-08 Joliet, IL @ Mojoes
________________ 

Links: Killswitch Engage Facebook // Twitter // iTunes
As I Lay Dying Facebook // Official Website // iTunes
Miss May I Facebook // Twitter // iTunes
Affiance Facebook // Twitter // Merch
 

PYRITHION "THE BURDEN OF SORROW" EP PREVIEW

Dig Death Metal? Dig Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying? BOOM. Your dreams have come true. Pyrithion brings an intense Death Metal onslaught through their music. Guitarists Ryan Glisan and Andy Godwin team up with Tim to deliver darkened heaviness to the ears of metalheads worldwide \m/

They will do this through their upcoming EP "The Burden Of Sorrow" which is slated for an April 16th release through the juggernaut Metal Blade Records. Pre-orders have been made available. You can grab yours right here if you're interested.

Pyrithion just dropped their first single for this release in the form of a face melting lyric video. Go ahead and watch / listen to "The Invention Of Hatred" down below. And I reiterate, if you're interested grab a pre-order and get stoked for April 16th. This should be a great one. Stay tuned for more!

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Merch

CALIFORNIA METALFEST VI

Everyone living out on the west coast should definitely check out this festival. California Metalfest VI has a huge line up of great, and not so great bands. The bands worth seeing include Killswitch Engage (who will be playing the classic KSE album "Alive or just Breathing" in it's entirety), As I Lay Dying, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Unearth, Born of Osiris, The Faceless, Shadows Fall, Veil of Maya, For Today, Suicide Silence, Memphis May Fire, Upon a Burning Body, and Volumes among others. The festival will be taking place on November 24th in San Bernardino, Californ-i-a. Check out the festival poster and the music we have for you under that.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Official Website

NEW PLAYLIST - METALCORE

Listen to our new metalcore playlist from Thall Baker.

Bang your f#@king head here.

Playlist: Metalcore