New Wave of British Heavy Metal... from America! Power, speed, and devastation \m/
Klaymore is a three-piece heavy metal band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their influences include a wide range of artists and genres in realms such as metal, rock, blues, and punk. The band began in 2007, and has since then played shows in the western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, and northern West Virginia areas. Klaymore has released two full length albums, an EP of cover songs, and an EP of original material: "Primed For Destruction" (July 2011), "It's Alive" (April 2012) "Respect Your Elders" (October 2012), and "New Breed" (August 2013). Listen to Klaymore's discography on Bandcamp! All kinds of free music included!
Heavy Metal legends Iced Earth need no introduction. The band had
previously planned to release their 11th studio full length “Plague of
Babylon” in October 2013, however owing to touring commitments, where
they supported Volbeat from October to December, the band has pushed the
release to early 2014. “Plague of Babylon” is being released on Century
Media Records and it will be a skull cracker.
The band just released the title track, "Plagues of Babylon", earlier this month. It was met head on with a very warm reception. And for good reason. the track is just plain metal. But just to sweeten the deal, Iced Earth is offering up the track for a free download through their label, Century Media Records! Take advantage of it while you still can!
“Plagues of Babylon” marks the incorporation of new Bassist Luke
Appleton and Drummer Raphael Saini of Chaoswave. New inclusion to the
ranks Raphael Saini, steps in to fill the vacated shoes of previous
drummer Brent Smedley who had left the band early-May, this year, owing
to personal reasons. Regardless, this album is sure to be very damn metal \m/ Stay tuned for more!
Ever have album art melt your face? Every once and awhile a band will
create or commission artwork which is undeniably awesome, iconic, or
inspiring. Sometimes it compliments the music in the perfect way,
leaving a mark on the listener or maybe even music history itself.
Welcome to the Art Gallery. We're gonna take at some really cool art and listening to some good music in the process.
First up, we're heading to Argentina. Given the independent nature of this upcoming solo-project project, it sure has a lot of awesome artwork behind it. Now I could be wrong, but I believe Reg3n himself designs the art for this very reason. And if he does, he does a damn fine job of it. When I first saw the off-kiltered art for "Spiral Maze", my jaw dropped a bit. The Meshuggah is strong in this one.
Next, we're heading to Germany with the legendary Blind Guardian. Their artist is anything but blind. Not only does the band boast possibly the best voice in current metal, they show off some incredible artwork in the process. All their covers are impressive but the art behind "A Twist In The Myth" always stood out to me in a big way. Probably because I'm a damn nerd \m/
Last, but not least by a long shot is Tool. This band is incredible in a number of ways and their artwork has always supported their sound diligently, bending the minds of people worldwide. It's rough deciding between these memorable covers, but "Lateralus" is the inevitable choice. Composed by the one and only Alex Grey, this band's art is hard to overlook.
Straight out of Norway, Illusion Suite is a band crossing Progressive and Power Metal elements in a cohesive and upbeat sound. With shades of bands such as Dream Theater and Sonata Arctica, they strive for musical greatness.
They're currently offering up the track "Premonition" for FREE DOWNLOAD via Soundcloud! This was done in support of their latest record, "The Iron Cemetery" which was released back in July through Power Prog Records.
Give the goods a listen below and don't forget to show support if the music strikes your fancy.
I don't know how many times I have come across old school metalheads who hate grunge. It's just a common phenomena that I've grown to accept. It's understandable too. As soon as bands like Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains became popular, record labels everywhere were trying to cash in on this sound. It did in fact have an effect on heavy metal at that time, as some labels were trying to pursue thrashers to step in the direction of flannel wearing sensitive rockers. Some groups gave into the pressure while others laughed at these suggestions and continued to thrash their fingers off.
Needless to say, by the early 90's glam metal was on its death bed, much of the thrash metal community was divided, and extreme metal was pushed way into the underground. Sanctuary, a thrash band from Seattle, was one of the divided. While some group members considered "grunging" up their thrash sound, vocalist Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard opposed this change and decided to leave the band. After recruiting Jeff Loomis for guitar duties, Nevermore was born. So, in away, the grunge movement unintentionally and indirectly gave us one of the greatest thrash bands of the 1990s.
Nevermore truly had a unique sound. Overall, the sound seemed to arouse feelings of darkness, dread, anger, and even anxiety. This was especially prevalent on albums such as "Dead Heart in a Dead World" and "Dreaming Neon Black" (two crucial albums for any metal heads collection). Musically they were very much a thrash metal band, but they adopted elements of progressive metal such as technical riffing and non-standard song structures, as well as power metal, particularly in the operatic vocals of Dane. Elements of groove metal came into play after Loomis adopted the use of seven-string guitars. Oh and their ballads, damn their ballads were disturbingly beautiful! I think I mentioned something a while back about how Shadows Fall writes some of the best contemporary metal ballads, and while I still hold onto that claim, I must say that Nevermore did them just as good if not better. Something about the slowed down neo-classical stylings of Jeff Loomis meshed perfectly with the emotionally distraught lyrics of Warrel Dane in these songs.
On the topic of lyrics, their songs were always serious, and oftentimes seemingly pessimistic. The entire "Dreaming Neon Black" album was about a man's descent into madness after losing a loved one. Critiques of religion were recurring as well as scathing commentaries about our political system, and unlike some thrash metal vocalists (names don't need to be named), these lyrics never came off as sounding cheesy. In other words, Nevermore was not the type of band that one could just write off as being generic thrash.
Although Nevermore is currently on hiatus, it's worth your time to go back and listen to their older releases. "Dead Heart in a Dead World" is usually on my periodic rotation list of music. Listen to either this album or "Dreaming Neon Black" (or any of their albums honestly) on an overcast day for a true aesthetic experience. And just like the old saying goes, "the cynic's favorite band isn't Cynic, it's Nevermore".
Heavy Metal legends Iced Earth need no introduction. The band had previously planned to release their 11th studio full length “Plague of Babylon” in October 2013, however owing to touring commitments, where they supported Volbeat from October to December, the band has pushed the release to early 2014. “Plague of Babylon” is being released on Century Media Records and it will be a skull cracker.
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Tracklist:
1. Plagues of Babylon
2. Democide
3. The Culling
4. Among The Living Dead
5. Resistance
6. The End?
7. If I Could See You
8. Cthulhu
9. Peacemaker
10. Parasite
11. Spirit of the Times
12. Highwayman
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“Plagues of Babylon” marks the incorporation of new Bassist Luke Appleton and Drummer Raphael Saini of Chaoswave. New inclusion to the ranks Raphael Saini, steps in to fill the vacated shoes of previous drummer Brent Smedley who had left the band early-May, this year, owing to personal reasons. The band has also unveiled the following album art on their Facebook page:
Based on the title, you know what you're going to hear from this review. That's right, the first two Iron Maiden albums, the self titled debut and "Killers". I, as well as many diehard fans, love these albums. There is a certain charm to the sound of these first two releases, possibly due to the feelings of nostalgia associated with certain tracks. "Prowler" was one of the first songs that introduced me to this band back in the day. But these albums have so many good qualities aside from just pure nostalgia. So let's dive back into the early years of Iron Maiden.
I've talked to numerous people about these albums and one of the most common statements I hear is that "they had more of a punk rock sound on their early albums". While I understand the legitimacy behind making that claim, I feel that a more appropriate description of the sound would be "raw". These albums are pure raw metal. This is in part due to the aggressiveness and unpolished vocals of Di'Anno, but you also have to take into consideration the speed of the music itself. Aside from these two elements the band was pure heavy metal from the beginning. The riffs were metallic, the solos were melodic, the arrangements were complex, and the sound had an overall more "epic" feel to it (listen to "Phantom of the Opera").
Another cool feature about these albums were the instrumentals. Songs such as "Transylvania" and "Genghis Khan" added a really nice touch to their respective albums, and to this day, they remain as two of the very few instrumentals in Iron Maiden's discography. The album "Killers" actually started out with an instrumental titled "The Ides of March", an appropriate title that foreshadowed the devastation to come. And you can't discuss these albums without mentioning something about the late Clive Burr. His drumming really helped to solidify the rhythm section along with Steve Harris's bass lines. Clive managed to keep a steady pace while also throwing in all sorts of interesting drums fills and technical work. The man was a beast behind the kit.
These are not albums to skip over, and if you've listened to them and cast them aside, then give them another listen. There are so many classic songs on "Iron Maiden" and "Killers". I saw Maiden live back in 2010, and even after 30 years they were still playing songs such as "Running Free", "Iron Maiden", and "Wrathchild" live. Check out the songs below if you're new to Iron Maiden or just never bothered listening to anything before "Number of the Beast".
Well here we are, over 7 months into the throwback segment and yet we still haven't talked about the metal gods. Judas Priest has been around since the early 70's and is easily one of the most influential bands in the history of heavy metal. Hell, they are the type of band that deserves not only a throwback, but an entire discography review. Several bands have already paid tributes to Judas Priest, and today The Circle Pit will pay it's respect to this juggernaut of a band.
Judas Priest made their entrance into metal music when the genre was still very young. Bands such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple had already begun experimenting with a sound that was much heavier and darker than the standard rock n' roll of the time, but these groups were still heavily influenced by the blues. The same can be said about Priest's debut album, but by the time they released "Sad Wings of Destiny" in 1976 they had established a unique sound that would go on to influence an entire generation of young rockers. This album contained musical elements such as dueling guitars, operatic lead vocals, and faster tempos than any preceding band could concoct. Not to mention they also introduced the leather-and-studs clothing image to the metal community. All of these became trademarks of Judas Priest, and were later adopted by several metal bands in the 1980's.
So how was this band able to create such an influential sound? Well, with incredibly talented musicians of course. Every member of Judas Priest brought something special to the table. Guitarists' Glenn Tipton and K. K. Downing worked well together and managed to construct a massive duel guitar attack on every album. Ian Hill provided a thunderous bass tone that served as a perfect backdrop to the band's music. Every drummer sounded good in the mix, whether it was Les Binks' cool drum fills, Dave Holland's driving rhythms, or Scott Travis's pummeling double bass. And Rob Halford seriously has one of the greatest voices in metal music. His vocals are gritty, high-pitched, and can span nearly four octaves!
The Judas Priest line-up remained fairly consistent through out the 70's and 80's (with the notable exception of their drummer position). This was a great thing for the band, as it allowed them to grow together as musicians and gradually evolve their sound over time. Even the frequent change in drummers didn't force them to change their sound drastically on any releases. With a solid line-up they were able to release many classic heavy metal albums, such as "Stained Class" (1978), "Screaming for Vengeance" (1982), and "Painkiller" (1990). Judas Priest is a classic band with a rich discography worthy of every metalhead's time and affection. Horns up!
Usually cover bands aren't my thing... But The Iron Maidens NEED to be recognized. As far as cover bands go, they are the cream of the crop. Period.
Honestly, what could be better than five insanely talented, good looking women playing dead on covers of your favorite songs from one of the best metal bands ever? I'll give you a clue... It doesn't get any better than that. Major respect to Kirsten Rosenberg (Bruce Chickinson), Linda McDonald (Nikki McBurrain), Wanda Ortiz (Steph Harris), Courtney Cox (Adriana Smith), and Nita Strauss (Mega Murray) for doing what they do and excelling at it.
Watch these ladies wreck stages down below. Sooo damn metal \m/
Gyze is a melodeath and modern metal trio from Japan! Previously known as Suicide Heaven, the Sapporo-based band was started in 2009. After gaining popularity in the local extreme metal scene they moved to Tokyo and changed their name in Gyze.
In 2012 they got to play at Wacken Open Air Festival and this got the attention of a label. Coroner Records signed them this year to release their long awaited debut album. There have been a lot of big expectations, especially in their home country.
The Album is called “Facinating Death” and was released on June 4th 2013. It was been mixed and mastered by Ettore Rigotti at The Metal House Studio (Disarmonia Mundi, Blood Stain Child, Slowmotion Apocalypse, Destrage). Claudio Ravinale, vocalist of Disarmonia Mundi, also appears as a guest vocalist on some tracks. Most of the songs are really fast and aggressive with an amazing take on melody too. The vocals are also really remarkable with some good high screams. The production quality is high quality too. This might be interesting for those of you that are into modern melodic death metal, especially those loving Swedish sounds! Check 'em out!
Today is a one ridiculously solid Tuesday in the metal world. Three extremely notable releases drop today and there’s plenty more including the first Black Sabbath album featuring Ozzy in like a million years. Today is a day for buying metal.
The Black Dahlia Murder are death metal legends at this point in their career. 2011 album “Ritual” was a fantastic work of modern death metal, influenced both by the American death metal scenes of Florida and New York and the Swedish melodic death metal scene. The Black Dahlia Murder have 100 percent forged a completely unique and awesome signature sound. Metalblade records released a temporary stream of the bands newest album released today, titled “Everblack”, and I can assure you this album will not disappoint. The signature sound is further honed and expanded on. This album is worth your money. Buy it.
Instrumental, progressive, “adventure metal” band Scale the Summit is back again with their newest album “The Migration” out today! This album features some of the most beautiful music I’ve heard in a long time. Single “Atlas Novus” is just ridiculous. These guys are immensely talented players ad songwriters. “The Migration” clearly is a very large step above all of Scale the Summit’s previous work. The production on what I’ve heard so far is also fantastic and a new high point for the band. Overall “The Migration” looks to be a fantastic album. Fans of instrumental music, melodic playing, and progressive metal should get in their cars, begin moving to a record store by whatever mode of transportation you favor, immediately and purchase this new album.
Children of Bodom are back, and this time with a higher content of your daily requirement of metal. The melodic death metal veterans return with “Halo of Blood” today. Much controversy has surrounded CoB and their recent releases. The previous albums certainly haven’t had the same drive and fury that the original CoB had that made melodic death metal classics. This time, Alexi Laiho and cohorts have released a record that looks to have a little more oomph. The black metal influence on lead single “Transference” gives a pretty solid indication that Children of Bodom has delivered with this one. This is another album worth buying.
Greek Power Metal veterans will be releasing a live album this June 24th titled “Apotheosis - Live 2012.” This album is a celebration of the ten year anniversary of the band's existence. Consequently the 17 tracks that make up the album have been recorded at special anniversary shows that took place at the end of the bands “Few Against Many” tour. Firewind has released a preview for the album that’s worth checking out. This album is also the official send off for singer Apollo Papathanasio who left the band late last year and has been replaced with only a temporary fill in as of now. Firewind is a talented band and I assume this will be a tight live album.
01. Head Up High
02. Wall Of Sound
03. Allegiance
04. Few Against Many
05. The Departure
06. Heading For The Dawn
07. Losing My Mind
08. World On Fire
09. Guitar Solo 2012
10. SKG
11. Between Heaven And Hell
12. Piano Solo
13. Edge Of A Dream
14. Mercenary Man
15. Glorious
16. Maniac
17. Falling To Pieces
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A Sound of Thunder is a classic metal band that formed in, and is based in, Washington DC, which just so happens to be where I live for most of the year! The band has existed since 2008. During the last 5 years have released 3 full length albums and 2 EPs. That means the band has released music in every year they have existed! This includes a full length being released in 2011, 2012, and this year, 2013. Quite a prolific and impressive output. This year on June 4th, A Sound of Thunder released their newest offering “Time’s Arrow” through the label Mad Neptune.
“Time’s Arrow” is exactly what you would want from A Sound of Thunder. Just solid, fun, classic metal goodness all around. This is the kinda record that you listen when you just want to enjoy some music, not contemplate the properties of existence, or think about how much you hate society/religion, or debate which gory method of death is coolest. Nope, this is classic metal. “Time’s Arrow” is light-hearted in the most perfect way. Not that the lyrical content is juvenile or similar in any way to pop music’s lyrical content. I’m talking about vibe. This is an album for easy, fun listening.
Guitarist and, according to wikipedia, primary composer Josh Schwartz writes some killer riffs and melodies. A Sound of Thunder covers a lot of territory with their writing. There’s plenty of killer, groove orientated thrash riffs, ala ‘I Will Not Break,’ that amp up the heavy and remind of a more modern power metal band. This coupled with the really retro classic metal Schwartz dishes out provides enough variety to really keep “Time’s Arrow” from becoming a monotonous effort. Epic melodies can easily become tedious to listen to song after song, chorus after chorus. A Sound of Thunder does their best to stay true to their sound while keeping each track fresh.
The immense vocal talent and fantastic vocal melodies do a lot to keep this album interesting and catchy. A Sound of Thunder is a female fronted band. The immensely talented Nina Osegueda provides the powerful, soaring vocals found on “Time’s Arrow.” Osegueda, a former opera singer, is a fantastically talented singer. Her melodic skill and pitch accuracy is top notch. The melodies she lays down are so smooth and well executed. Her voice can easily cover a lot of ground when it comes to timbre. She’s not always belting vibrato laden high pitched vocals. Osegueda can always thrive within the mid and lower range of her voice. She adds some power to the music that female vocalists often simply can’t do. And when she does use that shrieking high voice, like in ‘Queen of Hell,’ it’s nuts.
“Time’s Arrow” certainly is well produced. The bass shines through when given the opportunities though I’d like to hear more of it. The guitar tone is perfect for the classic/power metal sound A Sound of Thunder goes for. The drums are perfectly present enough to give the band a solid groove. Osegueda’s vocals are very clearly in the forefront of the mix as they should be. The powerful, infectiously catchy melodies are what give these songs their immediate hooking power. However her voice is not overpowering in the mix. The guitars still sit comfortably in the audible spectrum. This means its easy to make out what Schwartz is actually playing. Something I really appreciate.
Proceeding “Time’s Arrow” earlier in 2013 was the “Queen of Hell” EP. This EP features the lead single, ‘Queen of Hell’ a bonus track, a Black Sabbath cover and another version of the single featuring guest vocals by Veronica Freeman. You can check this ep and “Time’s Arrow” out on spotify or you could head to the band’s website and pick up a copy if you’re in the mood for some ear pleasing melodies and classic metal. A Sound of Thunder has been going very strong for the past three years. “Time’s Arrow” is an impressive piece of work. Hopefully this band has a long and prosperous career. 8.5/10 for “Time’s Arrow.”
First up is Big Four band Megadeth. Obviously this is a very notable release. But honestly, it feels like a major step back for megadave and his finally steady band members. New album “Super Collider” definitely features less high octane metal and more old man rock as Ted Nugent, I mean Dave settles into his new role as a rightwing, Obama hating, Christian extremist old rocker. Well anyway listen to this if you want to hear. Here’s a single.
Hardcore/metalcore band Liferuiner are back with their newest offering “Future Revisionists” today. This band has seen a completely nuts back story with locations and complete lineups changing multiple times. The band, which started as a parody of straight edge culture is going down a serious and inspirational path with this new album. From what I’ve heard, the album should be pretty solid if you’re into positive melodic hardcore. Check it out below.
Last we have classic/power metal band A Sound of Thunder. This band is pretty nuts. A ridiculously talented female vocalist fronts this band and a talented group of musicians write some tasty classic metal to feast upon. The band released an EP to preview their new album “Time’s Arrow.” This EP features the lead single, a bonus track, a Black Sabbath cover and a another version of the single featuring guest vocals. This release is pretty exciting, so check out the single if you haven’t heard of A Sound of Thunder and order the album on their website if you’re digging what you hear.
Go ahead and read that headline again. Your eyes don't deceive you. Iron Maiden has released their own brand of beer! TROOPER BEER \m/
"TROOPER is a deep golden ale with citric hop notes and
dominating malt flavours with a subtle hint of lemon. Real depth of
character with complex hop notes using a combination of Goldings, Bobec
and Cascade Hops."
It should be noted the beverage is currently only available in Europe. But will be spreading to the rest of the world as soon as possible. It's available for purchase here. You can read the official statement below for all the info and more.
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Trooper beer was officially launched yesterday at Robinsons Brewery in Cheshire, with a reception attended by brewing trade representatives from both the UK and Internationally. As fans may have read recently, the unprecedented upfront demand for the beer meant Robinsons had to brew three times a day, six days a week for the first time ever in the Brewery’s 175 year history to cope with pre-orders in excess of 300,000 pints.. Robinsons were overwhelmed by the number of enquiries they’d had from all over the world and sent us a comprehensive listing of whereabouts the interest had been – from a staggering 184 countries! So, a big thanks to all our fans and it’s great to know the Maiden family extends into so many places where the band have never even had a chance to play before! For anyone interested, below is the full list of those countries.
Bruce and Rod attended the Trade Launch, which began with Bruce conducting a tour of the Brewery to explain to everyone first-hand the process of exactly how Trooper beer is made. Robinsons Managing Director Oliver Robinson then gave a short speech about how the Iron Maiden/Robinsons collaboration came about and he presented Bruce with a specially engraved Brewery hand pump, in recognition of Trooper being the Fastest Ever Selling New Robinsons Beer. Bruce then pulled the first-ever pint of Trooper from the cask in the Brewery bar amid loud applause from the assembled crowd. Everyone then got down to the serious business of tasting the beer for themselves and it was very well received judging by the number of smiling faces and approving comments heard around the room. In fact Robinsons’ own head brewer, Martyn Weeks pronounced it his favourite beer, and renowned beer writer Pete Brown remarked how he found Trooper to be very good indeed and extremely drinkable.
Trooper is now available to order online throughout most of the EU, and Robinsons are working flat-out to ensure it will be available to the rest of the world as soon as possible. For updates on when Trooper is coming to a pub, bar or supermarket in your town/country keep checking www.ironmaidenbeer.com or follow IronMaidenBeer on Facebook or Twitter.
To find out more about just how much the Trooper beer impacted on Robinsons brewery business, visit their website.
Allow me to introduce the Brazilian band Age of Artemis. These guys deliver straight up POWAH METALLLL!! \M/ Synths abound! Soaring guitar melodies! Thrashy rhythm riffing! Melodic soloing! Falsetto singing! Everything you expect from power metal.
One thing about “Overcoming Limits,” Age of Artemis’s new debut album that has me stoked is the striking vocal similarities that I’m hearing between singer Alirio Netto and metal legend Ronnie James Dio whose voice I’ve missed ever so much. Honestly if you like power metal, you cannot dislike Age of Artemis.
Hailing from Italy, we present the upcoming talents in EmpYrios. Expect power metal... and djent. A fresh combination of vibrato filled powerful vocals, melodic soloing and chord progressions, and harsh screaming laid over catchy meshuggah-esque downtuned riffing and chugging make up the signature sound of their new album “Zion.” I’m finding that the bands most memorable feature is their ability to combine catchy, slow, brutal verses, with epic choruses that are just as likely to worm their way into the listener's brain. Some solid songwriting, sick vocal talent and solid soloing make “Zion” a worthwhile listen. Beware, if you can’t stand industrial elements or electronics in metal you may be put off.
THIS is one of those line ups that just makes your jaw drop. Might drool a bit too... Iron Maiden will be trekking through segments of the US on a 10 day tour with Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament, Sabaton, and Overkill. Yeah, you can go ahead and read that line-up again. For some metalheads out there, this is the show of dreams.
And these shows will be massive both musically and scale-wise. You can check the dates, the flyer, and music from all of the bands down below. And if you want to go (honestly, why wouldn't you?), you can grab your tickets right here! We'll see you in the mosh pit... IRONS UP! \m/
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09.03 – Raleigh, NC – Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
09.05 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
09.07 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
09.08 – St Louis, MO – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
09.10 – Austin, TX – Austin 360 Amphitheater
09.12 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay Events Center
09.13 – San Bernardino, CA – San Manuel Amphitheatre
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Today we're going to be taking a look at the American Metal legends Iced Earth. Coming out of Tampa, Florida, they've been delivering an awesome brand of Power Metal, including elements of Speed and Thrash Metal since 1984.
Today, rhythm guitarist Jon Schaffer is the only original member still in the band. But Iced Earth is still going strong with his signature gallop rhythm and a completed line-up including Brent Smedley on the drums (second oldest member), Troy Seele handling lead guitar, Stu Block (ex-Into Eternity) covering vocals, and Luke Appleton with the rumble from down under. The band has gone through a total of THIRTY members through the years. This includes some noteworthy names such as Tim Ripper Owens (ex-Judas Priest) and Matt Barlow.
Since the band's inception, they've released a total of 10 studio albums, and rumor has it number 11 is in the works. This includes headbanging classics such as "Burnt Offerings", "Something Wicked This Way Comes", "Night of the Stormrider", and "The Dark Saga". You can go ahead and check out a selection of Iced Earth tracks / videos down below\m/
This is it, the last three categories for the Golden Gods. I hope that Mike and I have helped you decided who will be getting your vote this year. Don't forget to tune in to see who wins and to see Metallica, Tony Iommi, and Rob Zombie receive achievement awards. The Golden Gods will air May 2 on AXS TV as well as Facebook and Xbox Live.
Paul Gray Best Bassist
Geddy Lee - Rush
Jason Newsted - Newsted
Lemmy Kilmister - Motorhead
Rex Brown - Kill Devil Hill
Sergio Vega - Deftones
Steve Harris - Iron Maiden
Fe's Predictions
This
award named after the deceased Paul Gray of Slipknot is truly an honor.
Any of these nominees would deserve it. While my friends joke that
bassists don't do anything for the band, I disagree. All of these men
have proved that the bass is a staple in any band. This category
definitely has veterans so it's hard to pick a winner.
If I had
to pick, I think Steve Harris should walk away with the win. Iron Maiden
is legendary and rocks hard, anyone knows that. I think that it will be
a close pick between Harris and Geddy Lee of Rush though as his band is
also well known and he rocks just as hard.
Mike Thall's Predictions
Everyone here is worthy of bass slappin' award. I'm betting either Lemmy, Geddy, or Steve Harris will walk away with it. But I'd really like to see Steve take home the prize. IRONS UP! \m/
Most Dedicated Fans
A Day To Remember
Black Label Society
Black Veil Brides
HIM
Rammstein
Slipknot
Fe's Predictions
This category will be a battle. Every fan base has their own notion of who is dedicated the most and every band knows a few super dedicated fans that might creep them out a little. Regardless, without these fans, these bands would not be as popular as they are. Let's be real though. A Day To Remember or Black Veil Brides will most likely take this one. Having a super obsessive fan base helps them here.
I would love to see Rammstein have the upset though or even HIM. These bands have been around for a while and still have a solid fan base. That is true dedication in my honest opinion.
Mike Thall's Predictions
Please... anyone but Black Veil Brides... This is another "meh" category from the Golden Gods. Nothing too exciting here. As Fe said, certain bands are much more inclined to win due to obsessive fan bases. In reality, I'm betting either Slipknot's maggots, A Day To Remember, or the emo children will win. But it would be awesome to see Black Label Society claim victory.
Most Metal Athlete
CJ Wilson- MLB LA Angels
Clay Guida- MMA/ UFC
Geoff Rowley- Skateboarding
Tanner Foust- Rally and drift car racing
Tom Crabtree- NFL Green Day Packers
Triple H- WWE
Fe's Predictions
Coming from Buffalo, I have a guilty pleasure for the NHL. Hockey is pretty metal, have you seen the beatings some of them take? Anyways, while I don't follow too many sports I can easily narrow down the winner for this category. To be a metal athlete, your sport has to be pretty tough. Therefore, I would either pick Triple H or Clay Guida to take home this last award.
Yes, the WWE might be deemed as a soap opera, but Triple H is pretty badass you can't deny that. I would be content with him or Guida winning this one. Taking a hit is pretty metal. Catching balls... not so much.
Mike Thall's Predictions
Baseball - not metal at all. Football - not metal (except for the hardcore tackles). Pretend, scripted wrestling - definitely not metal. Rally and drift racing - relatively metal if they crash. Skateboarding - kinda metal. Beating someones face in through Mixed Martial Arts - VERY FUCKING METAL \m/
New Wave of British Heavy Metal... from America! Power, speed, and devastation \m/ 
