Well, feeling slightly more human today. Might actually head to the office! Yeah, and watch everyone cringe and cover their mouths and noses in fear of catching it from me. Great Maybe I’ll bring those medical masks with me and pass ’em around….Earlier this week Soundgarden announced they will be releasing two special deluxe editions of their 1994 groundbreaking album, Superunknown, now the group is taking it a step further by announcing plans to perform the entire album at next month’s SXSW festival. On Thursday, March 13th at South By Southwest’s iTunes Festival, the group will hit the stage at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, TX. The event will be streamed live through the iTunes store and will be available on all personal computers and mobile devices. If fans have iOS devices or Apple TV, they can use the iTunes Festival app to stream the performance in HD. Superunknown – Deluxe Edition, which will feature the remastered album as well as b-sides, demos and rehearsals, will hit stores on June 3rd. Superunknown – Super Deluxe Edition will also hit stores on June 3rd but will be a full five CD set with a hardcover book and photos. (Thanks Pulse of Radio)….Pulse also reports Papa Roach is currently in Las Vegas working on their new album which is tentatively slated for a summer release and earlier this week they did an online question and answer session. Group singer Jacoby Shaddix explained, “We’ve got a track called ‘Just As Broken As Me’, which is a banger. That was the first track that we came in and recorded. It’s just an exciting, rip-roaring rock, hard rock, heavy metal progressive, nutty assault of musical creativity.” He added, “There’s another track called ‘Gravity’ that Jerry Horton was working on, and we all heard it, and we were just, like, ‘This just sounds cool. It just sounds like the sound of us driving down this desert road.’ And it just sounded like the environment that we were in.” Shaddix further explained what the song, “Gravity,” was about. He said, “‘Gravity’ is about what are the things in the world that keep pulling you back to reality or back down to the ground or back down to earth or back down to who you really are. And so that’s a great track. And for me, that was just something really different. I was, like, Jerry wrote the song, and I started lyricizing on it, and I was, like, ‘This song seems like it would be cool if I rapped on it.’ Everybody was, kind of, ‘Huh?! Really?’ And then I did it. And I remember I was just getting really painfully honest about some of the dark moments in my life that I never spoke about. I think that that’s when I really expose myself in the most vulnerable ways and step out of my comfort zone and really put myself out there, like, ‘You guys are gonna know this about me now?’ That’s when I think the best art is created . . . when you’re pulled the furthest out of your comfort zone. And that’s why Papa Roach records are so diverse.” Hmmm, might have to find Mr Shaddix and get him on the hotLine soon!….This is cool, and is a nice way for people who are into the electric bass can learn about it from one of the best. A documentary about late electric bassist Jaco Pastorius titled, Jaco, has been named the official film for Record Store Day 2014. Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo, who produced the documentary, said in a recent interview, “Record Store Day is a celebration of our youth, and beyond . . . it’s the power of memories fueled by this magic usually black vinyl disc.”He added, “There’s a reason why Record Store Day is making people headbang, rock out, relax, and simply smile. It’s all about the joy and power of words, music and sound, not to mention the dynamic range of visual art that goes hand in hand with a record cover, jacket, or sleeve; and you might even get a poster.” Jaco played with the eclectic jazz rock fusion group Weather Report, and also with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell, and was cited recently in my interview with Chuck Doom of Crosses, who also idolized Jaco. Gosh, he was only 4 days older than me and sadly passed away in 1987 from injuries sustained when he got into a fight with a nightclub bouncer. For more on Jaco & the documentary, read this….Nine Inch Nails are currently on tour and during the band’s recent tour stop in Japan, they gave their fans a special treat. Trent Reznor invited his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, to perform two covers of How to Destroy Angels songs. Reznor teased the crowd by saying he wanted to bring up someone from his other band who was “really close to him.” After stepping away from the mic and dropping the stage lights, Maandig made her way to the mic for a performance of “Ice Age”and “BBB.”…Guns N’ Roses, Joan Jett, Korn, A Day To Remember, Zakk Wylde and The Pretty Reckless have been named as the performers for the sixth annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show which is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23rd, at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Axl Rose will receive the Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award while Jett will make history when she becomes the first female in history to receive the Golden God Award. Tickets for the event go on sale on Friday, February 28th, at AXS.com. 2011 Golden God Award-winner Alice Cooper said in a released statement, “No one deserves this award MORE than Joan Jett. She’s never compromised who she is . . . she’s a rocker through and through. I wish some of the younger bands had the balls that Joan Jett does!” Cooper will present Jett with the award at the ceremony. Dave Navarro, Orianthi, Ace Frehley, Scott Ian, Jamey Jasta and Chino Moreno are also scheduled to attend the event.
This year’s Album of the Year nominees include: Avenged Sevenfold – Hail to the King, Black Sabbath – 13, Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1 and 2, Korn – The Paradigm Shift, Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork and Volbeat – Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies.
- The nominees for Best Vocalist are: Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember), M. Shadows(Avenged Sevenfold), Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch), Papa Emeritus II (Ghost B.C.),Jonathan Davis (Korn) and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age)
- The nominees for the Dimebag Darrell Best Guitarists award are: Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains),Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), John Petrucci (Dream Theater), Zoltan Bathory & Jason Hook (Five Finger Death Punch) and Munky &Head (Korn).
- The nominees for the Paul Gray Best Bassist award are: Johnny Christ (Avenged Sevenfold),Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), Chris Kael (Five Finger Death Punch), Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill),Fieldy (Korn) and Emma Anzai (Sick Puppies).
- The nominees for Best Drummer are: Arin Ilejay (Avenged Sevenfold), Brad Wilk (for his work with Black Sabbath), Vinnie Appice (Kill Devil Hill), Matt Halpern (Periphery), Chris Adler (for his work with Protest the Hero) and Mike Portnoy (The Winery Dogs).
- The nominees for Comeback of the Year are: Black Sabbath, Carcass, Deep Purple, Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age and Suicidal Tendencies.
- The nominees for Song of the Year are Alice in Chains – “Hollow,” Avenged Sevenfold – “Hail to the King,” Bring Me the Horizon – “Shadow Moses,” Five Finger Death Punch – “Lift Me Up,” Of Mice & Men – “You’re Not Alone” and The Pretty Reckless – “Going to Hell.”
- Voting is now open and will wrap on April 4th. Hit this site for more….
