Five Finger Death Punch releases its greatest hits collection, A Decade Of Destruction,today (Dec 1st), and the band is celebrating the occasion by sharing a new cover song as well. The group has recorded a surprise cover of The Offspring‘s “Gone Away,” which originally appeared on that act’s 1997 LP Ixnay On The Hombre.
“Gone Away” is included on Five Finger Death Punch’s greatest hits set, along with a new original tune called “Trouble.” Guitarist Jason Hook told us not long ago that Five Finger Death Punch are driven to keep working: “We’re kind of overachievers by nature. We can’t sit still. I think we have a problem. Even when we have time off, there’s no time off. We’re just doing stuff all the time, and so I think that’s one of the things I really love about this band is that we’re just motivated to keep grinding and it’s not work, it’s just kind of what you do.”
Drummer Jeremy Spencer told Razor 94.7 he was unsure about doing a greatest hits LP at first, saying, ““I was like ‘Do we even have enough hits?’ And then we looked and we have like 13 or 15 radio hits.” The hits collection and an already completed new studio album are part of a deal to settle a legal dispute and close out the band’s contract with its label, Prospect Park.
Five Finger Death Punch’s seventh full-length LP, which was finished nearly a year ago, will follow up 2015’s Got Your Six and will be released in spring 2018. The band is currently on a European arena tour with In Flames and Of Mice & Men.
Blabbermouth reporting a dispute over songwriting credits may have contributed to the cancellation of the previously announced expanded version of Metallica‘s 1982 demo tape, No Life ‘Til Leather. A limited edition cassette version of the legendary recording was made available exclusively in independent record stores for Record Store Day in April 2015, with the band promising that expanded editions of the demo, which had never before been commercially available, would arrive on CD, vinyl and in a collector’s set.
But Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich told Metal Forces last year that “unexpected difficulties on the legal side . . . prevented the No Life ‘Til Leather box set and our vision for how we were going to kick this whole reissue series off. We spent some time doing that dance, but then James (Hetfield, frontman) and I decided that it wasn’t worth it getting bogged down in all the unpleasantries, because this was supposed to be a celebration and not end up being a tug of war.”
Ulrich did not go into the details of the exact issues preventing the box set from happening, only saying that it was “something that we hadn’t expected.” But now former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine, who played on that demo, revealed on Thursday (Nov 30th) that he was contacted by Hetfield two years ago about “officially” releasing No Life ‘Til Leather with “27 tracks, pics, the whole enchilada,” adding, “The talks broke down because Lars wanted credit on two songs I wrote every note and word to. I have the texts. I passed.”
The seven-song tape was recorded with the first lineup of the band that appeared live as Metallica, including Ulrich, Hetfield, Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney. Neither Mustaine nor McGovney were still in the band by the time it released its debut LP, 1983’s Kill ‘Em All.
The relationship between Metallica and Mustaine since he was dismissed 34 years ago has always been portrayed as a testy one, although Ulrich told us that all the reports of animosity over the years have been overblown: “I mean, so much has been made of these relationships, and certainly speaking for myself, Dave and I have two separate relationships — one that exists between Dave and I, and one that exists in the press and with everybody else. And I always know that, you know, my and Dave’s private relationship is always fine, and it’s always one that’s rooted in love and respect.”
Ulrich told Metal Forces that he was still hopeful the issues could be worked out and that No Life ‘Til Leather could be released, saying, “We haven’t shut the door on it.”
Metallica is currently on a break from its Hardwired…To Self-Destruct world tour, which will resume in Europe this coming February.
In other ‘tallica news via Blabbermouth, former bassist-turned artist Jason Newsted has an art exhibition, “Rawk – The Art of Jason Newsted”, underway at the Cultural Council in Lake Worth, FL.
The exhibition was co-curated by Nick Korniloff, executive vice president, founder and director of Art Miami and founder of the prestigious Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary art fair, and Nichole Hickey, manager of artist services at the Cultural Council.
Korniloff told InJupiter: “Entering year two of our Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary art fair, we look forward to the kickoff of another exciting cultural season in Palm Beach County by supporting and celebrating the Cultural Council’s 40th anniversary.
“When provided the opportunity to work with Rena Blades and her team to co-curate an exhibition with Nichole Hickey of the Council, I jumped at the opportunity. There was only one artist in mind — and that was Palm Beach County resident, six-time Grammy winner, Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and multitalented musical, lyrical and visual artist Jason Newsted. Jason‘s immersive show represents all of the mediums of the arts that the Cultural Council has worked so hard to support over the years. The ‘Rawk’ exhibition will be an event and art show that our community will never forget.”
Beginning to make visual art seriously in 2004, Newsted manipulates canvases and upcycles ordinary materials. He imagines landscapes and figures that come to light froman unlimited color palate. His figures seem otherworldly and evoke a sense of frenetic emotion and in some of his work he has been influenced by Outsider Art. Newsted also works with words and layers. Using both hands, he scrawls out names or phrases and then layers paint to cleverly disguise them from the viewer. At times he twists and turns the canvas repeatedly, painting and painting, until he obtains his desired effect. Heavily influenced later by the great masters of modern art, Newsted has found his niche and an expressionistic awareness of contemporary art.
“Rawk – The Art Of Jason Newsted” will be on display at the Cultural Council galleries Dec 01 – Feb 03.
In the “what Ever Happened to…” files comes this from Blabbermouth. Andrew W.K. has revealed the title, cover art, and track listing of his upcoming LP, You’re Not Alone. The album is scheduled for release on March 2, 2018 via RED Music/Sony Music worldwide, with its front cover image painted by legendary artists Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell. These two masters of fantasy worked closely with Andrew over a six-month period, crafting the painting based on their unique vision.
It’s safe to say, nobody has partied harder, longer, or more fervently than the undisputed King of Partying himself, Andrew W.K. A one-man music machine possessed of a single-minded, monomaniacal focus to spread a singular message: That to party is to exist. And to exist is to party.
On You’re Not Alone, Andrew W.K.’s first album of new rock songs in nearly twelve years, the party is reborn, delivering everything one would want and expect from an Andrew W.K. record — high-octane, full throttle rock ‘n’ roll powered by buoyant, infectious, and triumphant melodies. His music, always a music of extremes, is relentlessly upbeat and celebratory, while also exploring contradiction and confusion.
The songs on this album follow a surprising path to self-actualization. They give the listener permission to admit their vulnerabilities, and the encouragement to feel empowered. They’re reflections on the push and pull between freedom and restriction. It’s a confirmation of everything you are, rejection of all you are not, and at times, a blurring of the difference between the two. Doubt becomes certainty, confusion becomes clarity, and the fear of life becomes the courage to live it completely. The album reveals itself through double meanings, mirrored views, each ringing equally true, even at their most severely discordant.
Andrew W.K. has lived a life built on a belief that to reach a state of grace and acceptance, one must embrace both the shadow and the light, the pain and the joy, all that is known and unknown, the stability as well as the chaos, its speed and torpor. Understanding this, Andrew W.K. suggests, is the foundation of what partying eventually transmits to us. And by harnessing the revelatory power of partying — by celebrating the puzzles and pressures of life – we find the key to change and evolution comes from both inside and out, when we’re together and on our own.
That inner voice, the music of our consciousness, becomes our guide. Trust it. Follow it. Through good times and bad, ups and downs, highs and lows. Realize that just being able to hear it conveys something fundamental to your being… you’re not alone.
Celebrating life this weekend: Today: Brad Delson of Linkin Park is the Big 4-0. Sarah Silverman is 47. Saturday: Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel is 49 and Muse bassist Chris Wolstenholme is 39. Sunday, The Prince Of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne is 69 and feelin’ fine!
