By Jon Wiederhorn
This year’s Golden Gods Awards ceremony was like no other. Former-Pantera members Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown took the stage with Anthrax for a crushing version of “This Love” from Pantera’s untouchable Vulgar Display of Power; Rob Halford performed with Five Finger Death Punch and Metallica, the latter for a cover of Priest’s “Rapid Fire” from their equally important British Steel. Deftones’ Chino Moreno joined a bloodied Dillinger Escape Plan for a metallized rendition of Depeche Mode’s “Behind the Wheel.” Members of Slipknot appeared with Stone Sour as they cranked out Black Sabbath’s “Children of the Grave.” And David Draiman, of Disturbed and Device, took the stage with Halestorm for a version of Led Zeppelin’s classic “Whole Lotta Love” from Led Zeppelin II. You can watch footage of all the madness right here.
For most musicians at the event, the trip to Hollywood’s Club Nokia was the culmination of a relatively short journey. But for Stone Sour, In This Moment, and Hell or Highwater, the trip to the award show began with the Road to the Golden Gods, a 13-date tour that launched in Portland, Maine’s State Theatre on April 2 and ran through April 27 in Jacksonville Metro Park.
The event was sponsored by Epiphone and the lineup was handpicked by Stone Sour, who considered various groups from different metal subgenres “We wanted to make sure the bands we brought out were not only good, but also something different,” says vocalist Corey Taylor. “There’s nothing worse than going to a show and hearing the same style of music all the way through. It’s like listening to machine gun firing constantly. But because we embrace so many styles, we wanted to make sure the other bands covered that spectrum as well.”
Stone Sour also wanted to make sure they would get along well with the other bands on the tour. Taylor knew In This Moment from years of playing festivals and radio shows together and always got along well with the band members, especially their vocalist Maria Brink. “She’s an amazing performer,” Taylor says. “She’s really creative and she gave it everything she had every night.”
“I think me and Corey have a real kinship because we’ve both been through a lot in our lives and that emotion comes across in our songs,” Brink says. “It was really great to be on the road with them and watch Stone Sour. Corey’s one of the most confident performers and he controls the crowd so naturally. I find him super-inspiring to watch.”
The love fest lasted for the whole tour, partially because Brink knows the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. “Maria got us a box of kick-ass cupcakes as a thank you present for having them on the tour,” Taylor enthuses. “I went, ‘Well, you didn’t have to do that, but I love cupcakes. I’m gonna eat 12 of these damn things.’ They were so good.”
For Hell or Highwater, which features Atreyu drummer Brandon Saller on guitar and vocals, the Road to the Golden Gods was a great opportunity to showcase a group that many metalcore fans didn’t know existed. Unlike the scream-dominated Atreyu, Hell or Highwater play vibrant, hook-laden hard rock with strong vocal harmonies, kind of like a cross between Weezer and the Foo Fighters. “This was definitely the best tour we’ve been on,” Saller says. “The crowd was really responsive. We had great shows every night and we really got close to everyone in Stone Sour.”
During a day off on the way to Florida, members of Hell or Highwater went to Stone Sour and Slipknot guitarist Jim Root’s house, ate sushi, sat around a bonfire, and played guitar. “Stuff like that doesn’t usually happen on tours, especially when you’re the opening band,” Saller says. “We made friends from day one, which was awesome.”
In addition to adding musical variety to the Road to the Golden Gods tour, Hell or Highwater introduced the Stone Sour and In This Moment camps to an addictive tour game they invented that’s kind of like rock-and-roll hot potato, where everyone tries to pass off a single hotel key card to someone else without them noticing.
“We taped hotel keys to Stone Sour’s snare drum and all kinds of stupid things,” Saller says. “There’s no point to the game, but in the end, once you get stuck with it, it’s yours.”
“That was funny as hell,” Taylor says. “I had already passed it to somebody. And somehow our monitor guy ended up with it. Then that cheeky bastard stuck it in the pick holder that was on my microphone stand. So when I walked out to do ‘Bother,’ there’s that bastard card key. I just shook my head and was like, ‘Oh, godammit. You fuckin’ nailed me. I lose.’”
Fuse recently spent a day on the road with Corey Taylor and Stone Sour on the first-ever Revolver Road to the Golden Gods tour, which is going on right now. Check out the resulting footage below, and let us know what you think in the comments.
]]>GRAMMY-nominated rock band Stone Sour recently announced details of their headlining slot of the first-ever Revolver “Road to the Golden Gods” Tour presented by Epiphone & Drum Workshop. Supporting the band on the coast-to-coast run will be hard rockers In This Moment and Hell or Highwater. The dates get underway April 2 at the State Theatre in Portland, ME and culminate with a performance at the 5th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone on May 2 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles (see itinerary below). To purchase tickets, click HERE or click the TICKETS button on the poster below with your preferred date selected.
In addition to Stone Sour, other 2013 Golden Gods performers include Metallica, Five Finger Death Punch, Anthrax, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Halestorm. The sold-out 5th anniversary show will air live on AXS TV and Xbox Live on Thursday, May 2, 2013.
Stone Sour will be releasing Part 2 of their double album, House of Gold & Bones, on April 9. The new record includes the single “Do Me A Favor,” which is currently climbing the Active Rock building chart (now at No. 15). The track is actually one of three in the Active Top 20 that feature Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor—the other two being “Absolute Zero” from House of Gold & Bones Part 1 and “From Can To Can’t,” a collaboration with Dave Grohl featured on Sound City: Real To Reel, the soundtrack to Grohl’s recently released Sound City documentary. Both Stone Sour songs are available on iTunes now.
Also, don’t miss the first issue of House of Gold & Bones (Dark Horse Comics) to be released April 17, written by Corey Taylor and featuring the artwork of Richard Clarke (interior) and Jason Shawn Alexander (cover).
For up to the minute news and information, please visit
www.goldengodsawards.com, www.stonesour.com, www.houseofgoldandbones.com, and www.roadrunnerrecords.com.
The Grammy-nominated Stone Sour recently announced details of their headlining slot of the first-ever Revolver “Road to the Golden Gods” Tour presented by Epiphone & Drum Workshop.
Supporting the band on the coast-to-coast run will be hard rockers In This Moment and Hell or Highwater. The dates get under way April 2 at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine, and culminate with a performance at the 5th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone May 2 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles (See itinerary). For complete tour details and ticket information, visit goldengodsawards.com.
In addition to Stone Sour, other 2013 Golden Gods performers include Metallica, Five Finger Death Punch, Anthrax, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Halestorm. The sold-out 5th anniversary show will air live on AXS TV and Xbox Live on Thursday, May 2.
Stone Sour will be releasing Part 2 of their double album, House of Gold & Bones, April 9. The new record includes the single, “Do Me A Favor,” which is climbing the Active Rock building chart (now at No. 15). The track is actually one of three in the Active Top 20 that feature Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor, the other two being “Absolute Zero” from House of Gold & Bones Part 1 and “From Can To Can’t,” a collaboration with Dave Grohl featured on Sound City: Real To Reel, the soundtrack to Grohl’s recently released Sound City documentary. Both Stone Sour songs are available on iTunes now.
In other media, the first issue of House of Gold & Bones (Dark Horse Comics) will be released April 17, written by Corey Taylor and featuring the artwork of Richard Clarke (interior) and Jason Shawn Alexander (cover).
For up to the minute news and information, visit
www.goldengodsawards.com, www.stonesour.com, houseofgoldandbones.com and roadrunnerrecords.com.
THE REVOLVER ROAD TO THE GOLDEN GODS TOUR Featuring STONE SOUR w/ In This Moment & Hell or Highwater except*
Apr 2 State Theatre Portland, ME
Apr 3 House of Blues Boston, MA
Apr 5 The Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ
Apr 7 Freedom Hall Lancaster, PA
Apr 9 The Dome Wallingford, CT
Apr10 Paramount Theater Huntington, NY
Apr11 The Fillmore Silver Spring Silver Spring, MD
Apr13 Tinker Field Orlando, FL - WJRR’s Earthday Birthday 20*
Apr14 Jet Blue Park Ft. Myers, FL - Fort Rock Fest*
Apr16 The Fillmore Charlotte Charlotte, NC
Apr17 Marathon Music Works Nashville, TN
Apr24 Masquerade Music Park Atlanta, GA
Apr27 Jacksonville Metro Park Jacksonville, FL - Welcome To Rockville*
May2 Club Nokia Los Angeles, CA* – Revolver Golden Gods Awards
May4 Quail Run Park Mesa, AZ – 98 KUPD Ufiesta*
May16 Peoria Civic Center Peoria, IL - 105.7 The X Spring Fling*
May18 Crew Stadium Columbus, OH - Rock On The Range 2013*
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In this week’s Album of the Week poll, you, the fans, voted Hell or Highwater to the top spot, for their album, Begin Again. Check out the top five vote-getters below:
1. Hell or Highwater – Begin Again
2. The Virginmarys – King of Conflict
3. RED – Release the Panic
4. Coheed and Cambria – The Afterman: Descension
5. Heaven’s Basement – Filthy Empire
Stay tuned for this week’s poll, which will be live tomorrow on RevolverMag.com. Until then, you can check out Hell or Highwater’s “Go Alone (featuring Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows)” off Begin Again below:
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This week sees new shit from Coheed and Cambria, The Bronx, Silverstein, Funeral For a Friend, and more hitting stores. Check out the list of releases below and let us know which ones you’re snagging a copy of and which record should be the Album of the Week. Pick your favorite and feel free to vote as many times as you want. Voting ends on Monday, February 11, at noon, when the results will be announced.
UPDATE: The poll is closed. For the result, click right here.
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Enjoy this exclusive stream of Begin Again, the debut album by Hell or Highwater, which will be released February 5 by Pavement Music.
Hell or Highwater was founded by Brandon Saller, who is best known as the drummer/vocalist for Orange County, California, rock band Atreyu. While Atreyu is on hiatus, Saller is stepping out from behind the drums and picking up the guitar and microphone.
Begin Again features 11 incendiary rock anthems, including the forthcoming single, “Gimmie Love,” and “Go Alone” (featuring M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold), plus three bonus tracks, “Pretty Penny,” “The Boxer” and “Tragedy” (Villain Remix).
You can pre-order the new album here.
“We are excited to announce that we have partnered with the Chicago based record label, Pavement Music, for the
release of Begin Again,” Saller said. “This year promises to be a big one for Hell or Highwater.”
Hell or Highwater hit the road for a US tour with The Darkness earlier this month. The tour wraps up in Aspen, Colorado, on February 2.
Remaining Hell or Highwater Tour Dates (w/The Darkness):
02/01/13 The Summit – Denver, CO
02/02/13 Belly Up – Aspen, CO
For more about the band, visit hellorhighwaterofficial.com/ or their Facebook page.
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“Jimmy was always more concerned about everyone else than he was with himself. He always wanted everyone to have a good time. He didn’t live in a world where you could be sad or bummed out. He didn’t let that part of life exist for him. He always brought out the good in everything and was always laughing and joking and fucking with you. I just feel so lucky that I got to spend time with the dude and know the dude. I think that anybody that got to is a lucky person.”
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The 48 Hours Festival, Powered by Rockstar Energy Drink, featured many of the biggest names in hard rock, including Avenged Sevenfold and Korn, and took place last month on the Las Vegas Strip. RevolverTV was there to capture the weekend in all its glory.
Check out this recap video of the event below, featuring performances and backstage interviews with the likes of Five Finger Death Punch, Hatebreed, Sevendust, and Chris Jericho. For more, download the RevolverTV smart phone app.
]]>Having been a part of metalcore titans Atreyu for over a decade, Brandon Saller is starting afresh with his new band Hell or Highwater. Stepping out from behind the drum set and claiming center stage, Saller initially began writing material 18 months ago and started out touring with a variety of musicians under the name the Black Cloud Collective. After settling on a fixed lineup, the quintet—which also features guitarists Matt Pauling and Neal Tiemann, bassist Joey Bradford, and drummer Kyle Peek—adopted the name Hell or Highwater, and the band in its current form was born. With self-released debut album, Begin Again, out this week, and the group soon to embark on the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, Revolver spoke to Saller about Hell or Highwater, recording a track with Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows, and what the future holds for Atreyu.
REVOLVER What prompted you to start Hell or Highwater?
BRANDON SALLER It was just different music and, I mean, I’m the kind of person who likes to just sit down and write music and play music and, you know, for not any specific reason or project or thing. And I was writing songs that I was really liking and they just weren’t right for Atreyu. In my head, there was no reason to put those songs to waste, and that journey with them was no reason why I shouldn’t go forth and make something of them.
How did the band arrive at its current lineup?
Initially, I just played with kind of random friends across the board, and when it turned into something that I wanted to tour with and everything, I wanted it to be something kind of real. So I just put together kind of a try-out, and it was really just word of mouth through friends and stuff like that. And in doing so, I found the guys I have now. They’re all such talented individually, in other bands before, and everyone was kind of coming to the end of a project, so it was kind of perfect the way it all fit in together.
How much of the record is songs you wrote yourself prior to the current band, and how much of it is material you guys wrote together?
Well, I mean quite a bit. Once they came on board, it was amazing how much they kind of put in. On the actual album, I wrote nine songs and then the guys, we all wrote three songs together. Once we kind of made the lineup concrete, I really wanted that. I really wanted the other guys to kind of have a moment on the record and really get a chance to write with them as well.
How would you describe the album musically?
I mean, it’s, in essence, an American rock-and-roll record. I don’t think that it sounds like anything specific. It’s a rock-and-roll record, but I feel like it’s just a nice, fresh approach to that, you know. I really wanted the band to sound like a modern take on a classic rock band and even farther back than ’70s, ’80s, even going as far back as like the ’50s, you know what I mean.
What’s the significance of the album title, Begin Again?
I feel like, for all of us, all five of us have kind of dropped everything in our life and really just started over with this band and we’ve put our entire heart and soul and faith in this band because we love it, and it’s kind of testament to the fact that you can do that and you can start over and you can change whenever you want, in your life. It’s never too late to do that. So I feel like the record, for us, was just a fresh start and hence Begin Again.
And it seems like you’re taking a very DIY approach with Hell or Highwater?
Absolutely. You know, all of us have had success in our previous bands and we didn’t want to have to just rely on that. We really wanted the band to be known for us, you know, and really people to fall in love with Hell or Highwater, rather than the things we’ve done in the past.
Do you take listeners’ reactions to this record more personally than anything before?
Obviously, it’s a special record for me because it is something totally new that I did on my own and it’s something that I really built from the ground up. And it’s not that I take it personally, but I think I’m just maybe more proud of this than anything else. Just because it’s like building a house with your own two hands, you know what I mean. You’re going to want to show everyone that house, you’re gonna be proud of that house, because every bit of it was made with your two hands and your blood, sweat, and tears. So I feel like I’m just more excited and proud for this record, I think, than anything else.
How are you enjoying being a frontman?
It’s a lot of fun, man, I mean, I’ve always been as active of a drummer as I can be and it’s a lot of fun just to kind of be in people’s faces now and interact and, you know, get to run around a little bit, have a good time. I feel like I’ve been let out of my cage.
And you’ve collaborated with Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows on the track “Go Alone”?
Yeah, yeah, we’ve been friends for a while. I mean, obviously we’re both from Huntington beach and Atreyu and Avenged toured a lot throughout the years, and we’ve become close the last three or four years. We’d written it together a long, long time ago, so it’s nice to finally have that come out, too, because I think a lot of people will dig it.
With so much of your time going into Hell or Highwater, is Atreyu firmly on the back burner right now?
When we decided to go on a break, the idea was go on a break and when, collectively, the five of us feel that the break is over, then the break is over. There wasn’t any time limit or “Let’s just take two years off” or whatever. It could be a year, it could be five, we don’t really know. Which makes it nice because I don’t like to half-ass anything in my life so I’m glad that I can put all my attention towards this. JASON LE MIERE
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