BLACK LABEL SOCIETY will headline this year's Revolver Golden Gods Tour, presented by Epiphone. The trek will kick off on April 16 in Portland and wrap up on June 7 in Los Angeles. Support acts for the tour have yet to be announced.
Revolver Golden Gods Tour dates:
Apr. 16 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Sodo
Apr. 17 - Portland, OR - Roseland
Apr. 18 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory Concert House
Apr. 19 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater
Apr. 21 - Billings, MT - Shrine Auditorium
Apr. 25 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
Apr. 26 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
Apr. 29 - Ybor City, FL (Tampa) - The Ritz
Apr. 30 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues
May 02 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
May 04 - Silver Spring, MD - Fillmore
May 05 - Clifton Park, NY (Albany) - Northern Lights
May 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
May 08 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
May 09 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
May 10 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theater
May 12 - Norfolk, VA - Norva
May 13 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theater
May 15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE
May 17 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere's
May 19 - Sioux Falls, SD - The District
May 20 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
May 21 - St. Paul, MN (Minneapolis) - Myth
May 23 - Grand Prairie, TX (Dallas) - Verizon Theater
May 27 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
May 28 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
Jun. 01 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theater
Jun. 02 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex - Rockwell
Jun. 04 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
Jun. 05 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
Jun. 06 - San Francisco, CA - Regency Ballroom
Jun. 07 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theater
Tickets go on sale on January 31.
The new BLACK LABEL SOCIETY studio album, "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican", will be released in Europe on April 7 via Mascot Label Group and one day later in North America through eOne Music.
If you pre-order the CD on iTunes, you will get the new track "My Dying Time" instantly. The song is now available for streaming in the YouTube clip below.
"Catacombs Of The Black Vatican" track listing:
01. Fields Of Unforgiveness
02. My Dying Time
03. Believe
04. Angel Of Mercy
05. Heart Of Darkness
06. Beyond The Down
07. Scars
08. Damn The Flood
09. I've Gone Away
10. Empty Promises
11. Shades Of Gray
12. Dark Side Of The Sun (bonus track)
13. The Nomad (bonus track)
Check out the cover artwork below.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY recently amicably parted ways with longtime guitarist Nick Catanese and replaced him with Dario Lorina (LIZZY BORDEN).
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY mainman Zakk Wylde recently told Guitar World magazine about Catanese's departure: "I had called Nick to tell him about the album and he told me that he was already knees deep into doing his own thing and wanted to stick 1,000 percent into it. I told him it was cool and that we loved him and that he'd always have a home here."
He continued: "The thing is no one ever gets kicked out or fired. If you want to go, you're always able. Now we've got [guitarist] Dario Lorina in the band, and not only is he a kick-ass guitar player who can shred, but he's also a really cool dude."
Asked how he hooked up with Dario, Zakk said: "We never do a cattle call or anything like that. With the amount of awesome players I know, it's more of a word-of-mouth kind of thing. I had him come out to the Vatican [Zakk's home studio] to meet him, and afterwards I said, 'Cool. If you want to do it, you're in.' It was as simple as that."
Wylde also spoke about what fans can expect to hear on "Catacombs Of The Black Vatican".
"I think everyone can expect a lot of fun and excitement," he laughed. "It was like what Chris Farley did in that one skit, where he was selling that hair-care product. Make sure you always use the word 'fun' when you describe it. [laughs]!
"Someone asked me what the difference was between this new record and the other nine. I told them that it's basically all of the songs we used on the other nine records, except they've got different titles now. [laughs] It's fun and exciting for the whole family!"
"Catacombs of the Black Vatican" is BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's first new studio album since 2009's "The Order Of The Black", which debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart.
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's live DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Video, "Unblackened", was released on September 24, 2013 by Eagle Rock Entertainment. Wylde's label home, eOne Music, also released the audio version of the "Unblackened" DVD under the same name.
After more than three decades together, MÖTLEY CRÜE announced today their Final Tour and the band's ultimate retirement. The announcement was solidified when the band signed a formal Cessation Of Touring Agreement, effective at the end of 2015, in front of global media in Los Angeles today. Celebrating the announcement of this Final Tour, the band will perform on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" tonight and will appear on "CBS This Morning" tomorrow, January 29.
With over 80 million albums sold, MÖTLEY CRÜE has sold out countless tours across the globe and spawned more than 2,500 MÖTLEY CRÜE branded items sold in over 30 countries. MÖTLEY CRÜE has proven they know how to make a lasting impression and this tour will be no different; Fans can expect to hear all the band's hits and look forward to mind-blowing, unparalleled live production.
"When it comes to putting together a new show we always push the envelope and that's part of MÖTLEY CRÜE's legacy," explains Nikki Sixx (bass). "As far as letting on to what we're doing, that would be like finding out what you're getting for Christmas before you open the presents. We think in an age of too much information, we'd like to keep some surprises close to our chest until we launch The Final Tour."
The Final Tour presented by Dodge and produced by Live Nation will kick off in North America on July 2 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and reach 72 markets before hitting international territories in 2015. To Live Nation, MÖTLEY CRÜE tours are not only box office successes but artistically their shows have set the bar for production and entertainment value.
"There's no arguing that MÖTLEY CRÜE have been and always will be the definitive bad boys of rock and roll," says Rick Franks, Live Nation's regional president of North America Concerts. "But behind all those notorious stories is a legendary rock band that has revolutionized heavy metal and created some of the biggest hits in music history. They are a hugely successful global brand and a touring powerhouse. Everyone at Live Nation has a tremendous amount of respect for these hard-working and extremely talented gentlemen. The music industry will never have another MÖTLEY CRÜE."
The Dodge brothers were a notorious duo, so it seemed only natural to partner with the World's Most Notorious Rock Band.
"Whenever I talk to people about MÖTLEY CRÜE, the common thread is how cool and relevant the band remains even after 33 years," said Tim Kuniskis, president and CEO, Dodge brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "This irreverent 'staying power' resonates deeply with the Dodge brand as we turn the corner on our 100 year anniversary. What better way to celebrate the band's final tour and the 25th anniversary of 'Kickstart My Heart' than to do it together?"
Fans can look forward to very special guest ALICE COOPER joining MÖTLEY CRÜE for an incredible package — Alice invented the genre and MÖTLEY CRÜE put steroids in it!
"Real hard rock bands are hard to find these days," said Alice, "MÖTLEY has always gone on stage with one attitude and that's to blow the audience away. That's exactly how we do it. Putting MÖTLEY CRÜE and Alice Cooper together is going to be just what this summer really NEEDS. We're going to go out there and tear it up, and I can't wait to see MÖTLEY on stage. MÖTLEY CRÜE and Alice Cooper — A match made in... Armageddon?"
As documented in the Cessation Of Touring Agreement the band signed at the press conference today, the band will not tour after this Final Tour. Band attorney Doug Mark of Mark Music & Media Law explains: "Other bands have split up over rancor or the inability of people to get along, but this is mutual among all four original members and a peaceful decision to move on to other endeavors and to confirm it with a binding agreement."
Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, and Mick Mars will go their separate ways after the lengthy two-year touring cycle. Tommy Lee (drums) explains: "Everything must come to an end!! We always had a vision of going out with a big fucking bang and not playing county fairs and clubs with 1 or 2 original band members! Our job here is done!!!" Of the band's tumultuous history, Mick Mars (guitar) adds: "(It has been) more drama than 'General Hospital' — it keeps 'em watchin' and they keep comin' back." Vocalist Vince Neil says of the finality of the tour: "I'll miss playing with the guys but I won't quit playing rock and roll!! I feel there are a lot of great opportunities and exciting projects after MÖTLEY."
The Final Tour will coincide with the film made from MÖTLEY CRÜE's New York Times best-selling book "The Dirt". Jeff Tremaine ("Bad Grandpa") has signed on to direct the opus that is set to debut in theaters globally in 2015, coinciding with The Final Tour. "The Dirt" is not only one of the best selling rock books of all time but also one of the greatest rock books of all time because of its brutal honesty, its unique voice, its multiple perspectives on the same events and its first-person inclusion of all members of the same band. Most rock memoirs are salacious mud-slinging accounts of a single person and MÖTLEY CRÜE was adamant to include the perspectives of all four of its members. Tremaine's intention is to make, not just a great movie about a band, but a great movie about four misfits who, despite themselves and everyone else, band together to overcome the odds and change the history of rock and roll.
"'The Dirt' is a movie I've wanted to make ever since I read the book in 2002," says Tremaine. "I relate to the story on so many levels; my whole professional career has been about boys behaving badly, so I have a real connection to the material. It's awesome to be working with the band at such an exciting time in MÖTLEY CRÜE's history." The film will be produced by the members of MÖTLEY CRÜE, Rick Yorn, Julie Yorn, Erik Olsen and 10th Street Entertainment.
Big Machine Records, home to country superstars such as Taylor Swift and Tim McGraw has teamed up in a joint venture with Mötley Records and Eleven Seven Music for the summer 2014 release of a country music tribute to MÖTLEY CRÜE. Big Machine founder and CEO, Scott Borchetta, is among the legion of country music fans who love MÖTLEY CRÜE. The country tribute album will show off the band's quality songwriting with these fresh takes on their classic hit songs. Among the artists already confirmed to be featured on the country tribute album is Florida Georgia Line. Borchetta says of the collaboration, "I have been a not-so-secret CRÜE fan from the beginning. When manager Chris Nilsson called with the idea for a tribute album on Big Machine Records, it was an immediate 'yes' from me! Our album will highlight just how great the MÖTLEY CRÜE song catalog is. At the end of the day, that's what will stand the test of time."
Greg Prato of Songfacts recently conducted an interview with guitarist Mitts (real name: Brian Daniels) of New York hardcore legends MADBALL. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
Songfacts: What is MADBALL currently up to?
Mitts: We're writing for a new record right now. We've got three or four songs. As a hardcore band, our songs are fairly short compared to metal — they're not, like, seven-, eight-minute songs. Our songs are generally between two and three minutes, so we usually go for in the 12-to-15-song range for a record. We like to have at least 30 minutes.
Songfacts: How does the songwriting work in the band? Is it you that comes up with an idea or is it Freddy, or do you guys collaborate?
Mitts: It's basically between my bass player, Hoya, and myself. We'll come up with riffs and song ideas. If it's not just one riff, we'll have one or two riffs that go together and that'll be a piece. When we get those, we'll bring it into the rehearsal room and we'll start to work on it as a band. Nobody ever writes an entire song in MADBALL on their own. Basically, we take a couple of riffs and we piece it together. Once we get it in the room, then the four of us work out the kinks and pitch in ideas on the arrangement and structure of it. And as we're doing that, Freddy, my singer, he'll make a lot of arrangement calls, because he's starting to imagine what he's going to sing over it. And so he'll say, "No, this verse had go to be longer," or "This is where we'll stick a chorus. Let's put a little intro piece here, because I've got an idea for this or that." He definitely has a strong input as far as arrangement. And our drummer, Mike, he's going to try to come up with different drum patterns. Generally the drummer in this band, whoever it may be over the years, has a lot of input as far as what they're playing over these riffs. I'll have an idea for how I think a drum part should go along with one of my riffs, but he's the one that's going to interpret that. And same thing with Hoya. Hoya will sit there and be like, "No, the beat's gotta be more like this or more like that." And he'll specify. But at the end of the day, one of us comes up with a riff or a couple of riffs and then we take it into the room and we all hammer it out.
Songfacts: To the best of your knowledge, who would you say are some of the first bands that truly merged hardcore with heavy metal?
Mitts: I think AGNOSTIC FRONT, the CRO-MAGS. In those early records by those bands, you can start to see the development. On the first AGNOSTIC FRONT record, you can hear that late '70s punk sound and that early '80s sound that started to become hardcore. Bands like the CIRCLE JERKS and the DEAD KENNEDYS and the BAD BRAINS were merging that speed with the punk. Punk was the SEX PISTOLS and the RAMONES, but then hardcore started just making it a little louder, a little heavier, and a little more aggressive. And then you had the New York sound — I think New York pioneered what still lasts as hardcore today. They started to add more metal into it, more right hand riffing, more palm muting riffing as opposed to just, "dadadadadadadada." That was punk, that open strumming. You listen to records like the first CRO-MAGS record, "The Age Of Quarrel", there's a lot of right-hand chugging, like metallic kind of riffs. Same thing with AGNOSTIC FRONT. Their second record, "Cause For Alarm", all of a sudden you start to hear really fast picking, a lot of dissident guitar patterns and stuff like that. So those are the bands that really started to pioneer that. You look at hardcore today, and 90 percent of hardcore bands that are around today doing well still have that metal edge to them.
Read the entire interview at Songfacts.
