Housecore Horror Film Festival reveals a first wave of bands and other details for 2015!

Legendary metal frontman and Housecore Records founder Philip Anselmo, is bringing his horror-themed film and metal festival back for a third year. After a great ride in Austin, the festival will kick off in San Antonio, Texas at the Aztec Theatre on November 13th -15th, 2015.

The decision to return was driven by the desire to honor his friend and festival co-founder, Corey Mitchell, who tragically passed away last October. Mitchell was the driving creative force behind the festival’s success, and Anselmo believes there is no better way to pay tribute to his friend than to carry on for a third year.

“I’ve got a great team in place to help make this what Corey and I wanted it to be,” he says. “There are a lot of mixed emotions here because no one can replace him. But, we know he would want this to continue and so that’s what we’re going to do. We miss him and think about him every day.”

Bands already confirmed to play are Suffocation, Autopsy, Cripple Bastards, Nails, SYk & DalilaKayros, EYEHATEGOD, Child Bite, WARBEAST, many more to be announced soon. Maryland Deathfest co-founder Ryan Taylor will be booking bands this year and will help Anselmo craft a musical lineup that would make Mitchell proud.

In addition to showcasing the best in extreme metal, the festival will screen film gems from the personal vaults of both Anselmo and Mitchell. Horror filmmakers are encouraged to submit their films and winners will be selected in various categories and given the coveted Rot-Scar Award. “When Corey and I started this thing, it was important to us that we help independent filmmakers get their incredible work discovered,” Anselmo continues. “Nothing has changed, in that respect.”

Tickets to go on sale soon! Stay tuned for additional announcements.


DOWN Live at Resurrection Fest ’14. Hi-Def, Pro-Shot, Full show. 2015 tour dates and ticket links too!

DOWN’s entire August 1, 2014 performance at the Resurrection Fest from Viveiro, Lugo, Spain.

Down will appear at the Amnesia Rockfest in Quebec in June, then will tour the East coast of the USA in August. Details and Ticket/VIP info below:

06/16/15 Montebello, Quebec, Canada Amnesia Rockfest TICKETS

Eastbound And Down

Tour: Eastbound ‘N Down
08/06/15 Louisville, KY, United States Mercury Ballroom TICKETS VIP

08/07/15 Fort Wayne, IN, United States Piere’s TICKETS VIP

08/08/15 Birch Run, MI, United States “Dirtfest” Birch Run Expo Center TICKETS (No VIP available)

08/10/15 Buffalo, NY, United States Town Ballroom TICKETS VIP

08/11/15 Pittsburgh, PA, United States Alter Bar TICKETS VIP

08/12/15 Hartford, CT, United States Webster Theater TICKETS VIP

08/14/15 Sayerville, NJ Starland Ballroom TICKETS VIP

08/15/15 Richmond, VA, United States Hadad’s Lake – GWAR BQ TICKETS (No VIP available)

08/16/15 Wilmington, NC, United States Ziggy’s TICKETS VIP

Pantera to be on “Guitar Hero Live” set list!

As originally posted on Rolling Stone here.

The Guitar Hero franchise is coming back in 2015 after a five-year hiatus, and now Guitar Hero Live has revealed the first 24 songs from its expansive set list. The Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Black Keys and Green Day are among the initial wave of artists that will contribute music to the upcoming game.

Among the new features on the revitalized Guitar Hero are a more realistic controller/instrument – no more deadly orange pinky button – and a 24-hour music video network called GHTV, “the world’s first playable music video network.” Game creators Activision says the channel will allow participants to play along to official videos across various genres and challenge other online players of the same skill level.

Guitar Hero Live will also present the game from a first-person perspective, allowing gamers to almost interact with the crowd and their bandmates on screen. “If you start dropping notes and messing it up, not only are the crowd gonna turn on you, but so are your band members as well, because you’re effectively ruining their career as well as your own,” Jackson said. FreeStyle and Activision partnered on Guitar Hero Live.

Guitar Hero Live Initial Set List

The Black Keys – “Gold on the Ceiling”
Blitz Kids – “Sometimes”
Ed Sheeran – “Sing”
Fall Out Boy – “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)”
Gary Clark, Jr. – “Don’t Owe You a Thang”
Green Day – “Nuclear Family”
The Killers – “When You Were Young”
The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
My Chemical Romance – “Na Na Na”
Pierce the Veil – “King for a Day (feat. Kellin Quinn)”
The Rolling Stones – “Paint it Black”
Skrillex – “Bangarang”
The War on Drugs – “Under the Pressure”
Black Veil Brides – “In The End”
Rage Against the Machine – “Guerrilla Radio”
Judas Priest – “Breaking the Law”
Pantera – “Cowboys From Hell”
Sleigh Bells – “Bitter Rivals”
System of a Down – “Chop Suey!”
Alter Bridge – “Cry of Achilles”
Alt-J – “Left Hand Free”
Broken Bells – “Leave It Alone”
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Higher Ground”
The Pretty Reckless – “Going to Hell”

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-rolling-stones-green-day-lead-guitar-hero-live-set-list-20150512#ixzz3Zx1AWxGX
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

For the full article go here.…

5 Pantera Gems from Unsung Opus “Reinventing the Steel” By Rick Florino for Artist Direct

Pantera’s Reinventing the Steel never gets enough credit. When you ask someone their favorite Pantera album, you’ll most commonly hear Vulgar Display of Power or Far Beyond Driven. Often, you’ll get someone who says Cowboys from Hell. This writer’s personal favorite is The Great Southern Trendkill—and after years of convincing he has a few friends who agree. However, a little more than 15 years since its release, Reinventing the Steel feels more powerful than ever. In essence, it stripped the Pantera sound to its core. The riffs are as thick as ever and the grooves pummel with poise, passion, and power. It’s almost like the direct successor to Vulgar Display Power with just ten slamming anthems that purge with no-nonsense, no-frills, and no-regard attitude. That was what Pantera did best, and it’s on full display here.

For the 5 songs Rick dissects for readers, check out the original article here.…

VH1: Dime is the #1 most influential guitarist of the modern era.

As originally posted on vh1.com here.

Compiling a list of the most influential modern metal guitar players is intimidating. There was no way to do this without pissing a bunch of people off. I did my best to quantify which guitar players’ mark was being felt the most by the up and coming generation of new bands and musical movements in the realm of all things heavy. Whose legacy stood the test of time? Why is player “A” more influential than player “B”? Is there empirical evidence to support these arguments? These are the burning questions. There are some tremendously phenomenal players who did not make this list because their significance will not be known for some time. There are some players who made a big splash initially, but stature has waned in recent years. There are some genres like Black Metal where I had difficulty pinpointing 1 or 2 specific players that stood out among the slew of pioneers.

It (arguably) all started when Tony Iommi lost his fingers in a machinist accident, but metal guitar has come a long way in 50 years. Enjoy this list in all of its imperfect glory!

1. Dimebag Darrell – Pantera, Damageplan

Dimebag Darrell is definitively the most influential metal guitarist of the last 25 years. He is to the 1990s what Eddie Van Halen was to the ’80s and Jimi Hendrix was to the ’60s. His precise thrash chops are on full display on tracks like “Shattered” and “F-cking Hostile”, and yet Dime also knew how to keep the riffs simple and grooving with iconic songs like “Walk” and “5 Minutes Alone”. This sparse, low-end, bluesy chug was the blueprint for post-thrash, nu-metal, and metalcore in the subsequent years. From the solid-state behemoth crunch, signature squeals, and peerless lead playing, everything he did was 100% his own style. Despite his monumentally vast influence, we still have not found the heir apparent to Dimebag’s throne. He is irreplaceable, and I am just thankful for the legacy he left. RIP.

To see all 20 guitarists included and why they were picked and where, go here.…

Dime comes in at #5 on Loudwire’s Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All Time

As originally posted on Loudwire here.

Let the debate begin! The history of hard rock and metal is littered with blistering riffs delivered by incredible shredders providing memorable licks that just beg you to either pick up a guitar yourself or do your best air guitar if one isn’t handy. But which guitarist is the best of all-time? That’s a debate that set our Loudwire staff buzzing.

What makes for the greatest guitarist of all time? Is it the signature riffs you can’t get out of your head? Is it the undeniable skill the axeman has that makes them the envy of all? Is it the influence they’ve given to the next generation? Is it the legacy they’ve created with years of hits and defining the sound of an era? The short answer is all of the above.

Dime comes in at #5 but to see the rest of the rankings, check out the gallery countdown here: http://loudwire.com/top-hard-rock-metal-guitarists-of-all-time

Dime takes 2nd place on Ultimate Guitar showdown!

As originally posted on ultimateguitar.com here.

So after over four whole months, the inaugural edition of UG Showdown came to an end with a massive clash between late Pantera icon Dimebag Darrell and Queen legend Brian May.

Based on nearly 55,000 fan votes, Dr. May grabbed the title by fetching around 60% of the votes, placing him straight on the throne of guitar lords!

On his way to the finals, Brian earned a reputation of a destroyer of prog champions, as he first bested John Petrucci in round one, and then devastated Robert Fripp in the second phase. In the quarterfinals, he triumphed over Jimmy Page in a tight clash, and then bested John Frusciante in the quarterfinals.

As for Dime, his journey to the finals saw him besting such titans as Rory Gallagher, Buckethead, David Gilmour, and even Jimi Hendrix in the semifinals. He was ultimately stopped by the Doctor, but a silver medal is still a great nod to one of the all-time greats of metal.

For more details on the poll outcomes, check out the UG summary page here.

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Washington Times interviews Vinnie Paul!

vinniewashingtontimes

(Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP)

Full article on the washingtontimes.com here.

Washington Times: Musically, where is the band at this time?

Vinnie: We feel like we finally accomplished the true Hellyeah sound. It took us four records, but it all came together on this CD: The sound, the songs and the production all fit each other.

The first two Hellyeah records were kind of experimental metal meets blues meets Southern rock meets rock ‘n’ roll. This one is really focused. It’s what fans expected from the start. It’s a great place to be right now.

Washington Times: Do you believe in the healing power of music?

Vinnie: Absolutely. Music speaks to you when nobody else can. It’s truly a great escape for many people and has so much to offer on so many levels.

Washington Times: Do you have a favorite rock ‘n’ roll memory?

Vinnie: Pantera was the opening band on the Kiss reunion tour in 1997, with all the original members. We toured with them in South America. We did three nights in Mexico City, then we had a flight on my birthday, which is March 11, and we were on a flight from Mexico City to San Diego, Chile.

Kiss was in first class, and we were in business class. Halfway through the flight, all four of the original members of Kiss came back to me and sang “Happy Birthday” in four-part harmony. They gave me a “KissStory” book. I felt like a 14-year-old kid. I had tears coming out of my eyes.

They took us under their wing, really liked us, and it was a great tour.

Hellyeah is currently on tour, check here for dates.

Full article on the washingtontimes.com here.…

Guitar World: Tour Dimebag Darrell’s Guitar Vault, Home and Recording Studio

Originally posted on guitarword.com here.

Guitar World’s February 2015 issue, which is available at the Guitar World Online Store, is the ultimate tribute to the late, great Dimebag Darrell.

As part of our coverage, which was timed for the 10th anniversary of the guitarist’s tragic death, Guitar World was invited into Dime’s home and recording studio—and we got to bring our cameras!

Below, enjoy our exclusive video tour, which offers a private look at Dime’s impressive guitar collection, not to mention his home, memorabilia, kitchen, bathrooms (Note: Dime’s bathrooms are more interesting than they sound!) and a lot more.

Check out the video below! And remember to pick up the February 2015 issue of GW, which features the ultimate Dimebag Darrell guitar gallery, more details about his home and studio, our guide to the 25 Greatest Pantera Songs and much more!

For more news and info on Dime, check out the official site here: http://www.dimebagdarrell.com