Sponsored by ooVoo Video Chat, Angry Orchard Hard Cider and Lagunitas Brewing Company, this mega-bash — hosted by tattoo master Paul Booth at his stunning Last Rites Gallery and MC’d by Sirius XM’s Jose Mangin — was the holiday party to be at.

January-issue cover boys Asking Alexandria and their Monster Energy Outbreak tourmates As I Lay Dying, Memphis May Fire, I See Stars and Attila were there, as were rapper Ice-T and wife Coco, plus Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider. Tying into the party, 10 lucky fans won the chance to speak with Asking Alexandria using ooVoo.

Pick up a copy of Revolver’s January 2013 issue right HERE!

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The much-anticipated sixth annual California Metalfest will take place at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, California, Saturday, November 24, with Grammy-nominated, Massachusetts metal band Killswitch Engage headlining.

It’s a special gig for the group, long considered one of the forbearers of the metal resurgence of the ’00s, as they will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their landmark release, 2002′s genre-defining Alive or Just Breathing. To commemorate the album, KSE will play the album in its entirety, from start to finish, as well as other more recent hits.  

Ash Avildsen, founder of California Metalfest, had this to say: “Alive or Just Breathing is one of the most important and timeless albums for this era of heavy music. KsE’s special headlining set combined with the rest of the line-up is going to make for an incredible day of metal and memories. Having all these bands in the same place on one day is really exciting as a fan and as a festival producer.”

WWE Superstar “Mankind” Mick Foley will be hosting the festival along with several other stars (TBA) who will be doing signings and appearances. There also will be many carnival-style prize games where fans can win special, limited-edition band merch and memorabilia instead of stuffed animals. California Metalfest VI promises to be much more of an experience than just a day filled with great music.

Special ticketing packages and general admission tickets are available exclusively through Sound Check Hollywood.

The lineup also features Asking Alexandria, As I Lay Dying, Black Veil Brides, Pierce The Veil, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Chiodos w/Craig Owens, For Today, Suicide Silence, Memphis May Fire, Blessthefall, Unearth, Bleeding Through, The Faceless, Born Of Osiris, Winds Of Plague, Shadows Fall, Veil of Maya, Acacia Strain, Attila, Sleeping Giant, Upon A Burning Body among a slew of others.

The complete lineup and information can be located at CAMetalfest.com.

On their second full-length, Memphis May Fire initially seem poised to fall into this same deep, dark pit. Every modern metalcore trademark is here, from the clean vocal choruses to the heavy use of synths and effects. And yet, against all odds, The Hollow sounds interesting, fresh, and truly great.

It starts with the riffs. Instead of relying on simple chugging repetition like many of its peers, this Texan quintet weaves a variety of speedy, intricate, and catchy guitar patterns throughout its sound, lending it an almost progressive quality. The number of solid riffs here is remarkable, and these alone would be enough to garner a recommendation.

But even more importantly, these 10 tracks are each strong, coherent, and memorable.  The infectious choruses integrate superbly with the complex riffing around them, and each song has its own identity, pacing, and feel.

Bolstered further by very solid production, clever use of effects, and strong clean vocals, The Hollow is quite simply one of the best metalcore albums in a long time. Whether you believe the subgenre died a long time ago or you have All That Remains tattooed on your forehead, this record deserves your attention. CLARKE READ