Well, we’ve got another nor’easter coming out way here. Hope the rest of the country’s having more spring-like weather! Let’s warm our hearts with some music news, shall we?
Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory told Detroit radio station WRIF that the title of the band’s new album, And Justice For None, was inspired by the group’s recent legal battle with former label Prospect Park. Bathory explained, “There was this back-and-forth forever, and finally when we settled, I think Ivan (Moody, vocals) was the one who said, ‘Well, I guess that’s justice for none.’ And we were, like, ‘Let’s call the album And Justice For None.’”
Bathory acknowledged that the band picked that title even though Metallica released an LP called . . . And Justice For All. He added, “We all know there’s (the) Metallica album . . . And (those) lyrics, actually, Metallica’s ‘. . . And Justice For All,’ make a lot of sense to me. The same crap 30 years later, right?”
And Justice For None was originally completed in December 2016 but its release was delayed by the legal issues. Asked if the band changed any of the LP during the past year, Bathory replied, “We ended up recording a couple of more songs that was part of the agreement with the label; we recorded three more songs for the album that was part the settlement.”
And Justice For None will arrive on May 18th. Bathory said about the music, “We have a sound, and we’re not gonna really go far away from that. We sometimes experiment, but we have a sound. And for us, it’s always about writing the song — the song is what matters the most to us.”
Five Finger Death Punch will hit a handful of festivals and play around a dozen dates with Shinedown this spring. The band will then kick off a co-headlining run with Breaking Benjamin on July 16th in Seattle.
Nine previously unreleased demos from late Linkin Park and Stone Temple Pilots singer Chester Bennington were discovered by the fan site LPLive and briefly posted online Tuesday (March 20th), before being taken down again, to mark what would have been Bennington’s 42nd birthday.
LPLive posted a statement saying, “On Chester’s birthday, LPLive and LinkinParkBR are beyond delighted to provide a glimpse into his past as he was just beginning his solo project (what would later become Dead By Sunrise). In continuing the #MakeChesterProud movement, we felt that this release would provide a celebratory feeling for fans and friends of Chester’s.”
The tracks were quickly taken down a short time after they were posted, apparently at the request of Linkin Park and Bennington’s label, Warner Bros. Records. Work on the songs began in the summer of 2005, with Bennington continuing to write and develop them in 2006, 2008 and 2009. It is unclear when the demos were recorded. The only Dead By Sunrise album, Out Of Ashes, came out in October 2009.
New Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Jeff Gutt said in an interview with Detroit News that one of late STP singer Scott Weiland‘s signature stage props — a megaphone — will not find its way into Gutt’s act. Gutt explained that the megaphone was “sacred” with Weiland, adding, “There’s nothing preconceived, and I don’t go up there to do an impression of Scott. I try to feel the music as best I can, and if there’s little hints of Scott here or there, then I see that as a good thing.”
But Gutt admitted that a megaphone did play a role in his getting the job with STP, revealing that on the day he received a phone call that he got the gig, he ducked into a shared laundry room to take the call in private. As he was hearing the news, he glanced down at the floor and saw a megaphone sitting next to the washing machine. Gutt remarked, “I felt like that was Scott’s way of giving me a little nod.”
Gutt, a one-time X Factor contestant, said about landing the job, “I was incredibly proud and honored that they chose and trusted in me. I came in at the end of their search. It was a process of us becoming comfortable with each other and getting to know each other. It was just as much about relationships as what I can bring to the table. Things like that take time and are important.”
The now 41-year-old Gutt said that he was 16 years old when STP’s debut album, Core, came out. STP’s self-titled seventh studio effort and first with Gutt came out last Friday, March 16th. Gutt made his live debut with the band last November in Los Angeles. The band recently did its first round of dates in support of the new album and next plays on April 14th in Tucson, Arizona.
Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has revealed that his highly anticipated solo album will be titled Black Labyrinth. The May 25th release was described as “diverse and progressive” and “a natural evolution” for the singer, who recorded most of its 13 tracks live to tape as opposed to digitally as Korn has done over the years.
Davis focused lyrics-wise on religion, consumerism and apathy throughout the LP, saying, “There’s a level of enlightenment I want to achieve . . . No matter how hard you try to fight bad things in your life, life will be what it is. It’s up to you to accept that, combat it, and move forward, or it’s up to you to be in denial. Then it becomes a thorn in your side until you finally deal with it.”
In addition to the first single, “What It Is,” songs on the disc include “Underneath My Skin,” “Final Days,” “Everyone,” “Happiness,” “Your God,” “Walk On By” and six others.
Davis started work on Black Labyrinth as far back as 2007, writing and recording it in between albums and tours with Korn, and keeping the project alive through a change in record labels.
The singer will kick off a solo North American tour on April 6th in Portland, Oregon, ending on May 18th in Boston. Korn drummer Ray Luzier will be part of the backing band.
Finally, we’d like to wish a happy birthday to Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley!
