The biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal rocked Los Angeles on Thursday, May 2, at the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods Award Show.

As always, the event featured the once-in-a-lifetime collaborations that America’s only hard-rock and heavy-metal show has become known for.

Click HERE to watch Anthrax performing “Caught in a Mosh” at the annual awards show.

To watch ALL the 2013 performances and awards, head here or visit GoldenGodsAwards.com.

Samson, Xbox and Revolver were backstage May 2 at the 5th annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards to host all the artist interviews, which aired live exclusively on Xbox Smartglass. Now Samson and Revolver are releasing all the interviews for you to watch!

Here’s the first of many clips from the 5th annual awards show.  This video features our hosts David Ellefson and Zakk Wylde interviewing Philip Anselmo backstage at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles after he performed with Anthrax and Rex Brown. For more information on Samson, visit samsontech.com.  To watch all the performances and awards from this special night, click here or go to www.GoldenGodsAwards.com.

Check out this new photo gallery from last week’s 5th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards. To see the list of winners and videos of all performances and awards from heavy metal’s biggest night, click here. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Cabral!

Chris Krovatin is the author of three young adult novels,

Irving Plaza, New York. Saturday, April 20.

Date of this concert: 4/20.
And how are we today: Dave’s not here, man.
Journalists’ favorite thing to hear at a will-call window: “You’re not on any of the lists we have.”
Even better: “Absolutely, sorry for the inconvenience,” 15 minutes later.
Backpatch of the night: The one of spiraling Pantera logos, on the back of a chick.
Cost of a 24 oz. Bud Light tall boy at Irving Plaza: $13.
Cost of a Genesee Cream Ale: $5.
Number of Genesees consumed upon arrival: 3.
How you doing there, buddy: What’s a buddy?
First up: Holy Grail from California.
Sounds like: Just, man, just fucking great.
Surprise of the night: While not my favorite record, Holy Grail’s latest, Ride the Void, sounds absolutely awesome live.
Favorite Holy Grail track of the night: The always-awesome closer, “Fight to Kill.”
Favorite piece of merch available: Municipal Waste’s shirt featuring a chick shotgunning a beer through some dude’s perforated head.
Least favorite aspect of Irving Plaza: The No Re-Entry policy. Such horseshit.
Second least favorite aspect of Irving Plaza: The lukewarm half-bunned hot dog I’m forced to eat due to aforementioned No Re-Entry policy.
Up next: Shadows Fall from Massachusetts.
Band Shadows Fall is replacing on this tour, on 4/20: High on Fire.
Resulting emotion: I hate you, Shadows Fall. I hate you more than any band, ever.
Even Megadeth?: I could never hate a band more than Megadeth.
Brilliant observation of the night: Shadows Fall frontman Brian Fair’s dreads must be cumbersome to headbang like that.
Sad moment of the night: What, no “Crushing Belial?” No “Fleshhold?”
Favorite crowd spotting of the night: Municipal Waste’s Tony Forresta, charging past me. Huh, dude looks pissed.
What Tony Forresta is probably pissed about: This BULLSHIT NO RE-ENTRY POLICY, most likely.
On that note, we have: Municipal Waste from Richmond, Virginia.
Headbanger: Face rip.
Number of seconds into the Waste’s set before a cloud of smoke rises from the crowd: 2.6.
Number of dugout hits taken: 5.
What’s going on, man: Everyone’s beautiful. Thrash metal is just so fucking beautiful.
Favorite Municipal Waste track of the set: The crushing power of “The Thrashin’ of the Christ.”
Interesting stage banter: Tony Forresta calling Anthrax “the hometown heroes.” I never think of Anthrax as a New York band these days.
Reasons for not thinking of Anthrax as an NYC band: 40% Scott Ian living in LA, 60% Joey Belladonna’s tan.
Tip for the burgeoning partier: Headbanging plus multiple beers plus herbal refreshment equals feeling like you’re going to pass out midway through a show.
Follow-up tip: Never get old.
Two left, next we got: Exodus.
From: New Zealand. The Bay Area, you fucking mook.
Hilarious sight of the night: A bunch of sweaty thrashers throwing up the horns and screaming the phrase “SADO-SEXUAL VIOLEEEENCE!”
Catty observation of the night: Frontman Rob Dukes has packed on a few pounds.
Further catty observations: Rob, who you pointing at? Is that even a stage move?
All that said: Rob Dukes is, in my opinion, Exodus’ best frontman.
Awesome track of the night: All of them. But especially “Fabulous Disaster.”
Admission of the night: I could give a fuck about “Bonded by Blood.”
One band left, you OK there, pal: I think I gotta go to the hospital.
And finally: Anthrax, from NYC, which everyone keeps reminding me.
Specialty of the night: Anthrax are playing Among the Living in its entirety.
Big impressive moment of the night: Wow, Joey Belladonna sounds a lot better now than he did on that reunion tour all those years ago!
Hot damn: I can’t believe I ever doubted the dude. He’s killing it.
However: I am now reminded that not all of Among the Living is that good.
All that said: WAR DANCE!
End of the night: A blast of fresh air and a straight-up canon being sparked the minute I leave.
What else you got going on?: There are other things?

The fifth annual REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARD SHOW presented by Epiphone has gotten even bigger with the announcement of a special performance by Danzig, including a special Misfits set with Doyle, along with appearances by some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal. Taking place Thursday, May 2 at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles, the sold-out event will be broadcast live on national television for the first time through AXS TV and broadcast in the United States and key international markets through Xbox LIVE^®* and Revolver’s Facebook page.  In addition, May 2 will be declared “Golden Gods Day” in the City of Los Angeles, with Councilwoman Jan Perry opening the show with an official proclamation.

Danzig will take the stage at this year’s show with fellow Misfit legend Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein for a very special live Misfits set. The highly anticipated performance joins previously announced live sets by Metallica, Five Finger Death Punch, Anthrax, Stone Sour, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Halestorm. As always, the 2013 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW will feature one-of-a-kind surprise collaborations that honor the past, present and future of heavy music.

In addition to the not-to-be-missed performance lineup, this year’s show will feature appearances by some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal.  The list includes Gene Simmons, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, Phil Anselmo, Jason Newsted, Zakk Wylde, Kerry King of Slayer, Munky and Brian “Head” Welch of Korn, Taylor Momsen, David Draiman of Disturbed and Device, David Ellefson and Chris Broderick of Megadeth, Heaven’s Basement, Testament and In This Moment.

FOZZY frontman and WWE pro-wrestling legend Chris Jericho will reprise his role as host for the fourth consecutive year.  Returning as well is the “Black Carpet” pre-show special, which will be hosted by iconic heavy-metal frontman Sebastian Bach and Sirius XM’s Jose Mangin. The special will air on AXS TV, Xbox LIVE and Revolver’s Facebook page. The Xbox LIVE broadcast will unite viewers around the world with the hash tag #XboxGoldenGods. Tweets with this hash tag will run across the bottom of Xbox LIVE members’ screens throughout the “Black Carpet” and the awards show. The Xbox LIVE broadcast will also integrate unique second screen experiences on smartphones and tablets through the free Xbox SmartGlass app.

Fans everywhere were given the opportunity to vote to help decide who will take home the awards for “Best Guitarist” (presented by Epiphone^®), “Best Drummer” (presented by Drum Workshop^®), “Best Vocalist” (presented by Rockstar Energy Drink^®), “Album of the Year” (presented by Orange Amplification^®), “Song of the Year,” “Best Live Band” (presented by Samson^®/Zoom^®), “Best New Talent” (presented by Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival^®), “Most Metal Athlete” (presented by Roadrunner Records^®),  “Comeback of the Year” (presented by Eagle Rock^®), “Paul Gray Best Bassist” (presented by Dean Markley^®)  and “Most Dedicated Fans” (presented by Xbox LIVE). Voting ended on April 15 with over 3.25 million fans weighing in, and the results will be unveiled live during the show.

This year’s Golden God Award (presented by Sumerian Records^®), which is given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, will go to Rob Zombie.  Performers and hard-rock icons Metallica will receive the Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by Ernie Ball^®), and the Riff Lord Award (presented by EMG Pickups^®), given each year to a legendary guitarist in the field of hard rock and heavy metal, will go to none other than Black Sabbath axman Tony Iommi.

Also, the first-ever Revolver Road to the Golden Gods Tour, featuring Stone Sour, In This Moment and Hell or Highwater, is crossing the country right now. The multi-city national tour kicked off in March and will conclude at the 2013 Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show.

For more information on the 2013 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS presented by Epiphone®, visit goldengodsawards.com.

The Outaouais Rock team is proud to announce the complete lineup for the 8th edition of the Amnesia Rockfest, now the biggest rock festival in Quebec and sponsored by Revolver Magazine. The festival will kick off with a series of indoor shows from June 10 – 16 at the Marina de Montebello in the Outaouais region. Main outdoor festivities take place June 14 and 15.

Among the headlining bands are the popular Chicago rock group Rise Against, Californian punk rock bands The Offspring and Social Distortion, shock rockers Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson, and alternative-metal band Deftones. These bands will play alongside the likes of the previously announced Rancid and Lamb of God, as well as Pennywise (back together with the band’s original singer), Dropkick Murphys, Anthrax, Killswitch Engage, Lagwagon, Transplants (with Travis Barker of Blink-182), The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (playing in Quebec after a 16 year absence), Millencolin and many others.

In addition to a significant enhancement of the three existing stages, Rockfest will introduce two new “international” stages that will focus on cult favorites and rare bands. Taking to these stages include the reunion of Black Flag, which will play under the name FLAG, Bad Brains (after an 18 year absence in Quebec), Screeching Weasel (after a 30 year absence in Quebec), Sick Of It All, Biohazard, Discharge, Subhumans UK, Mad Caddies and many others.

Rotating with the main stage, the « Québécois » stage will host the pillars of Quebec’s alternative music scene. Several of these now defunct bands are reuniting solely for the Amnesia Rockfest : Groovy Aardvark, Men O Steel, Roller Starter, Cryptopsy (with the band’s original frontman Lord Worm), Ghoulunatics, Arseniq33, Capitaine Révolte and Vulgar Deli. Also scheduled to reunite are : Grimskunk, Mononc’ Serge, Kataklysm, Matt Smashers of Planet Smashers, Obey The Brave and a punk Karaoke at the end of the night as well as many others.

Finally, the emerging stage will offer the best of local and international bands. Many surprises and secrets await festival attendees. In total, over 150 bands will take to the stages during the event.

It cannot be left unsaid that camping zones and festival grounds will be expanding the week leading up to festival as will indoor show venues (the lineup for indoor shows will be released in the upcoming weeks). There will be numerous activities taking place over the course of the event including rides, a rock and roll museum, a haunted house, buskers and fire spitters to enhance the carnivalesque and festive atmosphere.

Weekend passports are now available exclusively with advanced ticket sales in limited quantity on the Rockfest Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pnrockfest. Tickets for general admission will go on sale Saturday at noon at www.pnrockfest.com, in Amnesia stores and on the Admission network. Passports are available at the affordable price of 79$ + taxes and service fees, which comes out to 0.53$ a band! With the already generated enthusiasm and this year’s solid line-up, the team thinks that for the first time in its history, the festival will be sold out!

Please note that VIP packages are also available as well as bus packages from Montreal, Quebec City and other cities.

Chris Krovatin is the author of three young adult novels,

With death metal and hardcore leading the mall-promoted face of metal (or whatever the fuck people under 20 care about these days, God, I need a drink), breakdowns have become a staple point within the genre. Every dude who likes swinging a ham-sized fist around for no reason spends much of any metal concert waiting for that moment when things slow down and he can stomp around like a violent turtle. There’s even an entire genre now, “deathcore” that seems to be composed entirely of breakdowns. Chug-chug, slam-slam, we all love a good breakdown.

What aren’t always given their due, however, are speed-up parts, the moment where a mid-paced song bursts into a thrash section and some dude in the pit is given the go-ahead to hold up his index finger and spin it around, signaling the much-loved circle pit. I’ve always adored these moments, when a normal song explodes into a barrage of speed and aggression, as I’m much more of an old-school mosher, the running and slamming and freewheeling type, than the modern karate-kicking dance majors who so often populate the pit during a breakdown. So, to honor both the quick and the deadly (and to piss off scene bros and kvltists alike), here is my list of the Six Best Breakdowns and Speed-Ups.

The Six Best Breakdowns:

1. Pantera, “Domination” Aw, man, the original. Dimebag’s guitar breaks off of that pained wail and rolls right into that steady chug, eventually topped with insane weedling unlike any heard before. Tough as nails, catchy as Hell—the breakdown all others aspire to.

2. Slayer, “Raining Blood” The end of this classic Slayer track is a perfect example of a breakdown that makes a song. With its melodic variation on the opening riff coupled by the neck-snapping rhythm it stomps into, this manages to be both brawny and deeply evil at once.

3. Hatebreed, “Before Dishonor” If there was ever a breakdown to beat on one’s chest to, it’s that of “Before Dishonor.” Jamey Jasta bellowing, “WHAT I HAVE IN MY HEART, I’LL TAKE TO MY GRAVE” helps. Easily the most macho of the breakdowns on this list.

4. Lamb of God, “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For” Just beating that of “Black Label,” the breakdown closing “Now You’ve Got…” is the bottom line for metal kids who want to absolutely lose their shit in the pit. Randy Blythe’s roar over its opening is truly breathtaking.

5. Sepultura, “Propaganda” To be a stand-out breakdown on a record this chuggy and mid-paced takes some stones, but Sepultura pull it off without issue. It’s especially notable given how well it closes one of the faster songs on the record, and does so in a solid swoop, not a fade-out.

6. Anthrax, “Indians” Two words: WAR DANCE!

Band of note: Dying Fetus I really wanted to include a Dying Fetus track on this list, but every attempt at finding the right song made me think, Is this an actual breakdown, or just a Dying Fetus part? Let me take this moment to say that Dying Fetus are kings of the death-metal breakdown, and much of the modern obsession with breakdowns is their doing.

The Six Best Speed-Ups:

1. Lamb of God, “Ruin” Ye-hess. The moment where this song breaks into an off-kilter thrash part is absolutely obliterating and totally satisfying. If you listen to this song and your fist doesn’t begin pumping at this speed-up moment, you’re not doing it right. The sound of someone’s breaking point.

2. Cannibal Corpse, “Stripped, Raped, and Strangled” This Cannibal classic begins with a plodding, heavy-handed riff, but then breaks into a panicked whirlwind of guitar leads and drums that perfectly expresses the insanity of its protagonist. This is how a speed-up can be used as a consistent part, and subsequently craft a song into something better than it once was.

3. Slayer, “Postmortem” Not only is the sudden change in tempo of this song impressive, but the sudden speed applied to the sudden barrage of wordy lyrics—“My sinful glare at nothing holds thoughts of death behind it”—showcases Tom Araya’s vocal versatility. Look, just tell me this: DO YOU WANT TO DIE?

4. Guns N’ Roses, “Paradise City” Oh yeah—even the glamor boys got in on the speed. The sudden supercharged ending of this track takes the main riff and throws it on its head with a big dose of Lemmy. Didn’t think you could mosh to GN’R? Think again.

5. The Crown, “Devil Gate Rider” This Swedish death-metal classic, guest starring Tomas Lindberg of At the Gates, is the best song about drag-racing in Hell that has ever existed. And when it speeds up, you can basically see a checkered flag dropping and smell rubber burning. BORN! TO! RACE!

6. Mercyful Fate, “A Dangerous Meeting” Though not as much a thrash part as the speed-ups above it, the acceleration of “A Dangerous Meeting” ups this chug-along Satanic metal song’s cred, and probably inspired every black-metal band, ever. 

UPDATE: The poll is closed. For the results, click here.