Good morning Radicals! Let’s kick things off with David Draiman and Nita Strauss performing at an benefit in Maui, Hawaii:
Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan was asked by a reader of Guitar World magazine if the band still intends to record and release an acoustic EP as it first hinted a couple of years ago. Donegan responded, “As we started to write for (new album Evolution), we started with the acoustic tracks. Once we had five or six really strong ideas, we went back to plugging in to get some signature Disturbed riffs going. As things started to develop, we decided to incorporate it all into one body of work instead of putting it out as a second EP.”
Donegan added that Evolution branches in many different musical directions, explaining, “There’s a lot of flavors to this band and for this album, we really wanted to push ourselves down new roads and widen the definition of what Disturbed is. But we weren’t going to divorce ourselves from things that are signature Disturbed, like heavy riffs and syncopation. We just wanted to push the boundaries and show a good blend and balance of an emotional record as well.”
Frontman David Draiman told us a while back that Disturbed has never been concerned about sticking with one musical style: “Call us hard rock, call us whatever, call us anything. At the end of the day, we’re gonna be Disturbed, and we’re gonna write the music that we write. And certain people are gonna like it, and certain people aren’t gonna like it, and that’s life.”
Evolution came out last October and contains the rock radio singles “Are You Ready” and “A Reason To Fight.” A North American headlining tour in support of the disc kicked off last week in San Diego. You can check the Road Rage page for a full list of dates.
Ozzy Osbourne, Disturbed and Shinedown will lead the lineup of the 13th annual Rocklahoma festival, scheduled to take place from Friday, May 24th through Sunday, May 26th at the “Catch The Fever” Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma, just outside Tulsa.
The weekend will feature performances from Bad Wolves, The Glorious Sons, Bush, Seether, In This Moment, Asking Alexandria, Beartooth, Buckcherry, Sevendust, Avatar, Black Stone Cherry, Ace Frehley, Lita Ford and many others.
Ozzy Osbourne said in a statement, “Believe it or not, I’ve been doing shows in Oklahoma since 1971, so I know that they have some of the best audiences in the world there.”
The three-day event will feature non-stop music throughout each night, along with on-site camping amenities and VIP packages. Early bird weekend festival passes, as well as weekend VIP packages, will be available for purchase starting on Thursday, (January 17th) at 10:00 a.m. CT at Rocklahoma.com. Early bird pricing will last through Thursday, January 24 at 12:00 p.m. CT, when prices will increase.
Metallica and Arrogant Consortia, an imprint of Stone Brewing, have announced Enter Night Pilsner. Launching in the U.S. now and internationally this spring, Enter Night Pilsner is described as “a unique expression of the shared values that have helped define Metallica and Stone Brewing: fiercely independent, transcending genres, shattering preconceptions and challenging convention.”
The members of Metallica and the leadership of Stone participated at every step alongside the brewing team in crafting the new beverage. Drummer Lars Ulrich said, “The amount of ideals and outlooks that Metallica and Stone Brewing share are endless. I’m always blown away about how similar our paths forward have been . . . This collaboration is beyond effortless and pure, and we can’t wait to share this incredible beverage with everyone out there.”
The launch of Enter Night Pilsner follows on the heels of Metallica’s launch of its branded whiskey, called Blackened, which has been rolled out in California, Wisconsin, New York and Florida.
Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler and legendary indie act the Melvins have all joined the lineup for the Chris Cornell tribute concert scheduled for this Wednesday (January 16th) at the Forum in Los Angeles. Farrell and Butler will reportedly play alongside members of Audioslave. The show will also feature sets from the surviving members of Soundgarden, plus Metallica, Foo Fighters and other surprise guests.
Finally, let’s wish a Happy Birthday to Tool guitarist Adam Jones today! Have a great day!
