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"I like politics and starting trouble. I also yell at a stick," Phil Labonte says of himself on his Facebook page. As the often controversial frontman of All That Remains, Labonte lives up to his own description. His band is about to his the road in Europe to kick off months of nonstop touring both abroad and in the U.S. in support of its sixth album, 2012′s A War You Cannot Win.
Here, he answers fan questions as part of his "Bad Advice" series. To submit your own questions, email PhilsBadAdvice@gmail.com. As Labonte says, "no question is too stupid or out there, so fire away! And remember, follow all advice at your own risk…"
What's up Phil? Got a girl question. I've been dating this girl for four years now. Inevitably the relationship has gotten more and more intense. She still gets jealous and seems to be insecure when I talk to other girls. I just moved to her hometown and thought that would calm her insecurities. I don't know if I'm not showing her enough affection or if it's wrong to talk to girls that I've had a thing with in the past. Is she nuts or should I not be talking to other girls at all?
-Ted Bonus
She's crazy. Set her on fire and run away.
Phil, I'm in need of some serious help. I have a very annoying neighbor who keeps calling the cops on me and some friends for playing our instruments to loud. The last time she called them she interrupted us jamming on "Just Moments in Time." How do we deal with the situation?
-Tyler Cole
Is there a public sidewalk around? I'd look into a permit then. Practice on the sidewalk in front of her place. It's not gonna make anything smoother, but it will be funny.
Last month, I went to see y'all at a Shreveport venue, The Riverside Warehouse. When y'all began to play, a group of 10 or so guys started moshing. Everyone that was around us was extremely annoyed by this. We were more concerned with being assaulted or injured than being able to enjoy the show. At one point, a member of the second band joined in and I thought I saw you scolding him. The moshing took away a lot from the show for me and everyone I was with. So my question is, what is your opinion of moshing and would there ever be point where you would stop a show because of it?
-Susan Lachney
If people start actually fighting, I'll stop 'em. But if it's just mosh-pitting, we kinda encourage that. The crazier the crowd the better.
If you had the choice, would you choose the blue pill (blissful ignorance) or the red pill (painful truth of reality)?
-Lennon Talbot
Too late. Red seemed like a good idea at the time.
Hi Phil, glad to see you're doing the advice column again. I live in a shitty low income apartment complex, and my upstairs neighbors are a fucking nightmare. They have four adults and five kids in a three-bedroom unit, and they are loud as shit from about 6 A.M. to 11:30 P.M. every day. They just keep making excuses and nothing changes. Yesterday, they dumped a shitload of water through their back deck onto my wife while she was having a cigarette and a glass of wine, ruining both, and the bitch just says, "Oh sorry, that was me." I want to shoot them all, but don't want to get in trouble. What should I do?
-Nick Rasmussen
A doused smoke 'n' spoiled glass of wine doesn't really call for a felony. I'd start with, bitch more. Squeaky wheel brings home the bacon, or something like that.
Dear Phil, I feel the need to make my own fireworks in my friend's garage. I know absolutely nothing about making fireworks. Also, my friend isn't really my friend, he's more like a guy who doesn't lock his garage. Is my plan a good idea?
-Mike
If you have a friend who can film it and post the video on the Internet in the highly likely event that you die, then it's the greatest idea I've ever heard in my life.
Asking Alexandria will cap off the most successful year of their career with their biggest headlining North American tour yet.
The "From Death To Destiny" tour is a diverse package featuring some of hard rock and metal's biggest acts, from All That Remains and Sevendust to Emmure and For Today. This trek kicks off October 25. Visit the band's Facebook page over the coming weeks for all the tour dates.
"America! We are back and have returned with our biggest lineup to date," says Asking Alexandria guitarist Ben Bruce. "Bigger songs, bigger bands, louder shows and more rock than the fucking Swiss Alps. We can't wait to bring this new live show to the masses. We will be playing songs spanning our entire catalog, and, of course, a shit-ton of new songs from our new album, From Death to Destiny.
"We have never been more excited to headline a tour. It's an honor to be touring with such great bands and we know you are going to love all of them. We have the perfect lineup for you to mosh to, sing along to, bounce to and bang your fucking head to. We're back and we're better than ever. See you all very soon."
Asking Alexandria's new album, From Death to Destiny, was released today, August 6, and is available everywhere
Today, RevolverMag.com presents another exclusive "in the studio" video by Newsted. This time around, Jason Newsted discusses "Soldierhead," a track off their new album, Heavy Metal Music, which comes out today, August 6!
The video also includes a taste of the song and shows the band hard at work at the Chophouse.
You can order Heavy Metal Music at iTunes now.
For more information about Newsted, visit newstedheavymetal.com and the band's Facebook page. For tickets to see Newsted on tour, head here.
Acclaimed technical thrash outfit Revocation released their new self-titled album today, and they've teamed up with Revolver to premiere their cover of Metallica's "Dyer's Eve," which appears as a bonus track on the deluxe CD and LP editions of the record. Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Revocation is available in exclusive bundle packages at the Relapse Records Online Store. The album is available in deluxe CD, standard CD, 2xLP, and digital formats. The deluxe CD and LP contain the Metallica cover. The album can be ordered on iTunes.
For more about Revocation, visit the band's Facebook page. Check out all their current tour dates below the Soundcloud player!
Revocation 2013 Summer Slaughter tour dates
8/07-New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
8/08-Toronto, ON @ The Sound Academy
8/09-Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
8/10-Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
8/11-Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre (NO DEP)
8/12-Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
8/13-Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
8/14-Minneapolis, MN @ Station 4
8/16-Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
8/17-Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
8/18 – Caldwell, ID @ The Venue *Headline Show*
8/19-Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
8/20-Portland, OR @ Roseland Ballroom
Revocation headline dates
8/21 Richland, WA @ Ray's Golden Lion
8/22 Spokane, WA @ The Center
8/23 Billings, MT @ Railyard
8/24 Cheyenne, WY @ Ernie November Record Store
8/25 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
8/26 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Before Black Sabbath's show at New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center this past weekend, Ozzy Osbourne chewed the fat with the New York Daily News.
The topic? Why original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward isn't filling the stool now occupied by touring drummer Tommy Clufetos.
"I don't think he could have done the gig, to be honest. He's incredibly overweight," Osbourne said. "A drummer has to be in shape. He's already had two heart attacks. I don't want to be responsible for his life."
According to MetalInsider.net, Osbourne had some negative opinions about Ward's performance at Sabbath's initial rehearsals for 13, the band's new album. "We looked at Bill, and he couldn't remember what the fuck we were doing. He didn't come clean and say, 'I can't cut this gig, but can we work something out, guys, where I'll come on but with another drummer backing me up?' Or, 'I'll come and play a few songs.' That would have been cool."
In another interview last month, Ward said, "I was offered a contact and I couldn't sign it. I would never, ever show up for a commitment that I could not do physically. It was one of the toughest decisions that I ever had to make. Because I absolutely and without question wanted to play."
"I'm the drummer in Black Sabbath so I want to do the entire show," he added. "I play all or nothing."
Ward left Sabbath in 1980 to get help with his drinking and played with them on and off throughout the next two decades. He was replaced in 1997 (He said he found out by watching MTV). The band eventually let him back in — until they called it quits in 2005.
Ward and the band have been at odds since right after Sabbath announced they were reforming in late 2011; he wrote a 1,500-word letter about why he wouldn't participate in the reunion, and the band responded with a 45-word reply:
"We have decided not to make any detailed comment on Bill's latest statement. There are two sides to every story. We have been working hard at rehearsals making excellent progress after Tony's treatments and we have engaged a substitute drummer for the forthcoming shows. See you at Download."
–Black Sabbath, 5/17/12
Last month, Metallica surprised fans at the San Diego Comic-Con with a concert at the Spreckels Theatre to promote their upcoming 3D movie, Through the Never.
Now the band are selling a download of the secret Spreckels show at livemetallica.com.
Fans can buy individual tracks for 99 cents each or get the entire 15-song live set for $7.99 (MP3 format).
The set includes "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Ride the Lightning," "Seek and Destroy," "Master of Puppets," "One" and more. The band also recently released a lengthy video of the guys rehearsing and picking the set list for the Spreckels show — and performing "Seek & Destroy." You can check out the video below.
Through the Never will open at IMAX theaters across North America for one week beginning September 27. After its IMAX run, it will move to regular theaters starting October 4.
This week sees new shit from Asking Alexandria, Newsted, Norma Jean, Revocation, 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, August 12, at noon, when the results will be announced.
Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie released his third solo album, Impermanent Resonance, today, and he has teamed with Revolver to premiere the full record right here right now.
LaBrie says of the album, "To me, this album incorporates and continues with the styles and musical direction that we have created with the previous releases. The difference being that the music on this disc is to me a true telling of the songs evolving and taking on a sense of identity that is every band's ultimate goal. It is powerful, memorable, hook-driven and above all extremely musical. It shows how the writing and the band itself have matured. I truly feel that this is our quintessential album."
Impermanent Resonance is available right here. For more on James LaBrie, visit Facebook.com/OfficialJamesLabrie and JamesLabrie.com.
Today, RevolverMag.com is premiering a new song from Eminence called "Veins Of Memories." The track appears on the Brazilian metal quartet's new album, The Stalker, set to be released in the U.S. on August 13.
"Veins Of Memories" is one of three songs to feature a guest appearance from Sepultura bassist and longtime friend Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. "It was a great pleasure to once again work with my dear friend," says Eminence's guitarist/founding member Alan Wallace, who also plays with Paulo Jr. in The Unabomber Files. Check out footage of the Sepultura bassist recording the song with Eminence in the studio below.
The Stalker reunites Eminence with Danish producer Tue Madsen (Moonspell, The Haunted), who also produced the band's last album, 2008's The God of All Mistakes. "He is a great producer and a good friend of the band," shares Wallace. "We spent an entire year producing this album, and worked really hard together to make The Stalker become a reality." The group made its live U.S. debut this past fall during New York's CMJ Music Marathon, while sailing the Hudson River on a boat with Prong. Eminence will return to the States last spring at SXSW, with plans for a proper North American tour in the works. Before that, though, Eminence will embark on a European headlining tour later this summer.
The Sunset Strip Music Festival took place August 1 to 3 in Los Angeles, and Revolver TV was there to catch the action.
Kicking off the three-day music festival, the 2013 SSMF Honoree Joan Jett was presented with an exclusive VIP event August 1 at the House of Blues Sunset Strip to celebrate her career and legacy on the Strip. Since co-founding the pioneering all-girl punk quintet The Runaways at age 15, Jett has continued to be an originator, innovator, visionary — and a pivotal figure in the history of The Sunset Strip.
Check out the recap video below from the red carpet.