Secret Machines, School of Seven Bells' Benjamin Curtis Dead at 35

"We can't thank all of you who supported him and his music through the years enough. All of you who attended or participated in the various benefits in and around New York City over the past year since his diagnosis, and of course those who contributed and gave generously to help support him throughout that journey. You made it possible for all of us, and for him, to see how truly loved he was and how many lives he had touched through his music by your gestures. We will all miss this incredibly talented and rare person every day, but we are fortunate enough that he shared with us his music, and that is something that we can keep forever."

Slipknot's Future Is Secure, Vows Corey Taylor

(TeamRock Radio) Corey Taylor says the future of Slipknot is secure despite the shock departure of Joey Jordison earlier this month. The band astonished their fans by announcing the drummer had bowed out for "personal reasons" – leaving percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan the only original member.

Frontman Taylor later admitted that he wasn't able to discuss Jordison's departure, saying: "We're trying to protect him, protect us. I can't say a lot about it."

Now he's responded to ongoing speculation by tweeting: "For those who think the Knot are falling apart, you are greatly and sadly mistaken. Bring on 2014. Great things are coming. Stay tuned." more on this story

RIP: Rockers We Lost in 2013

(Gibson) During the past year we lost many artists whose impact on rock and roll, blues, jazz and other genres of music will be powerful and enduring. Below, we pay tribute to some of those great talents.

J.J. Cale (Dec. 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013): "People have heard my music, but all my famous songs were made famous by somebody else," J.J. Cale once told the Chicago Sun-Times. "But that was my goal." Indeed, a trio of Cale classics—"After Midnight," "Cocaine" and "Call Me the Breeze"—furnished Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd, respectively, with three of the biggest hits of their careers. The Oklahoma native released over a dozen albums of his own, helping invent the trademark "Tulsa sound" in the process.

Ray Manzarek (Feb. 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013): Like all great bands, The Doors were blessed with magical musical chemistry. That chemistry could never have existed without Ray Manzarek. The Doors keyboardist's stunning intro for "Light My Fire"--one of the most instantly recognizable song segments in popular music—is but one example of his brilliant artistry. To his credit, Manzarek always insisted each member of The Doors was indispensable in creating their music. "It was transcendent," Manzarek once said, of his years with the band. "Those four personalities fell in line beautifully."

Lou Reed (March 2, 1942 - Oct. 27, 2013): Assessing Lou Reed's impact on rock and roll is a bit like trying to assess Shakespeare's impact on literature. Reed's influence is that fundamental, and it's in the very fabric of the art form. Future historians seeking to assess rock and roll's visceral power--particularly during the second half of the 20th century-could do worse than start with Reed's body of work as a guide. Few artists of any stripe have been as fiercely uncompromising in the pursuit of their craft.

Jeff Hanneman (Jan. 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013): The world of thrash metal suffered a grave loss when guitarist Jeff Hanneman succumbed to liver disease at age 49. As a founding member of Slayer, Hanneman wrote the music (and oftentimes the lyrics) for nearly all the band's best-known songs. The range of artists who cite his influence—both as a guitar player and as a songwriter—is staggering. System of Down bassist Shavo Odadjian went so far as to declare that "without Jeff Hanneman, there would be no System of a Down." Slash simply called him "the king of thrash/speed metal guitar."

Alvin Lee (Dec. 9, 1944 – March 6, 2013): Ten Years After guitarist Alvin Lee exploded onto the world stage following his electrifying performance at Woodstock in 1969. Once called "the fastest guitarist in the West," the British musician was often hailed as an early pioneer in the shredder movement that took hold in the '80s. Lee left Ten Years After in 1975 for a solo career, going on to record with George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Ronnie Wood and other notable figures. In total, he released more than 20 albums during a 45-year career.

Trevor Bolder (June 9, 1950 – May 21, 2013): British musician Trevor Bolder spent most of his 40-year musical career playing bass with Uriah Heep. For fans of '70s glam rock, however, he'll always be best remembered for his work as member of David Bowie's "Ziggy"-era band, The Spiders from Mars. "Clearly the most exciting band Bowie has ever had" is how Rolling Stone once described the Spiders. "Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with," Bowie said, in the wake of Bolder's death. "But he was foremostly a tremendous guy, a great man."

Peter Banks (July 15, 1947 – March 7, 2013: No discussion of prog-rock can be complete a big tip of the hat to Peter Banks. As founding guitarist for Yes, Banks helped forge the group's musical identity and even gave the legendary band its name. Leaving Yes in 1970, Banks went on to form Flash, a little-known quartet that released a trio of superb studio albums. "Lifetime," from Flash's 1972 album, In the Can, is Bank's tour-de-force. BBC disc jockeys Danny Baker and Big George have called Banks "The Architect of Progressive Music." More rockers that we lost in 2013.

Fleetwood Mac's John McVie Makes Live Return Following Cancer

(hennemusic) Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie returned to stage Monday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for his first live performance since starting cancer treatments this fall.

The band's last live date was October 25 in Helsinki, Finland as the group wrapped up a European tour. In October, the band cancelled a 14-date tour of Australia and New Zealand following news of McVie's diagnosis.

His former wife and ex-bandmate Christine McVie shared news of the bassist's progress last month, telling UK newspaper The Guardian that John's prognosis was "really good. He's having his treatment in LA right now, but they caught it really early so he should be up and running in a couple of months." more on this story

Goo Goo Dolls Fire Longtime Member

Longtime Goo Goo Dolls drummer Mike Malinin announced last week that he has left the band. He told fans in an online posting that "it was not my decision to leave the band. But no grudges held. I wish them all the best."

Malinin replaced the Goo Goo Dolls original drummer George Tutuska in January of 1995. Last Friday, he announced on his Facebook and Twitter pages "Got some news today. Just wanted to say thank you to the fans who've supported me for 19 years! Best of luck & happy travels to the band."

The band confirmed Malinin's departure with the following message on their official website, "Over the past few days you may have heard through the internet that our drummer of the past 19 years, Mike Malinin will no longer be touring with the band.

"It is true Mike is no longer with the band, but we wish him the best in his new journey and hope that fans and friends alike will take a minute to consider this decision was not taken lightly by anyone involved. Things happen personally and professionally that drive difficult decisions like this, but rest assured we are looking forward to continuing our 28 year journey as GGDS.

"We can't wait to share more music and memories with all the fans and friends that have been such a huge part of our lives."

Appice Laughs Off Dio Ghost Rumor

(Classic Rock) Vinny Appice has laughed off the rumor that the ghost of Ronnie James Dio appeared at the first concert played by Last In Line. The band consists of the first incarnation of Dio – Vivian Campbell, Jimmy Bain, Claude Schnell and Appice – plus singer Andy Freeman.

They originally gathered to jam early Dio tracks for fun, but took it further with a series of shows earlier this year. Their touring plans were curtailed by Def Leppard guitarist Campbell's cancer fight – but Last In Line aim to return in 2014.

The band's first show took place in California in August. Soon afterwards the story was spread that late vocalist Dio had been seen above the stage while his former bandmates played.

But Appice says: "That was just someone who was, let's say, a little high-energy, a little over-enthusiastic. Come on – an apparition? Nothing like that happened." more on this story

Clutch Begin Work On Next Album

(TeamRock Radio) Clutch have started work on their next album, says bassist Dan Maines – and one small piece has already made it into their live set. The band are currently touring in support of Earth Rocker, named the number-one album of 2013 by Metal Hammer.

Maines tells Metal Kaos: "It's not a song yet – at this point it's an instrumental jam. We're just calling it 'the shuffle' right now; that's the working title."

But there's a long way to go before they think about choosing a producer. "You really have to wait until you have the majority of the songs written so you know what the sound is," Maines says. "You make the decision of who you want to work with based on that." more on this story

Jimi Hendrix's Home To Become A Museum

(Classic Rock) Jimi Hendrix's London home is finally to be opened to visitors after years of pleading from fans. The guitar icon rented the Brook Street apartment for £30 a week in the late 1960s, and once described it as "the only home I ever had."

Since 2001 it's been the office space for staff of the Handel House Museum – classical composer George Frederick Handel lived in another part of the same building in the 1750s.

Hendrix's home was briefly opened to the public in 2010 and tickets were booked out almost immediately. Now a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £1.2m means museum staff can be moved out of the rooms and they'll be redecorated to look the way they did in the 60s. more on this story

Def Leppard's Phil Collen Forms Accidental Blues Band

(The Blues Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen has formed a blues band called Delta Deep – and the project came about entirely by accident. He's teamed up with his wife's godmother Debbi Blackwell-Cook to record an album which will also feature his Man Raze bandmates Paul Cook and Simon Laffy, plus Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots and others.

Collen tells Artisan News: "When Debbi is round the house she sings all the time, and I've got guitars in every room. It naturally started going into stuff, and before you knew it we were doing Motown songs.

"We auctioned a guitar off and performed five acoustic songs, Motown blues things, and everyone was freaking out, going, 'Oh my God, are you going to do an album? Can we get this somewhere?' So we started writing songs.

"It's very organic and natural. It's just people you want to play with."

Hear Collen and Blackwell-Cook performing a radio session in the video here.

Five Finger Death Punch Says Album's Have To Be 'Bulletproof'

(TeamRock Radio) Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory says bands need to be "bulletproof" if they want to survive in the current climate – and his own outfit's success is an example of that.

He believes the era of individual online track sales has meant musicians need to work harder if they want to sell albums. Bathory tells Loud: "The whole world's changed – it's really a bad thing. But it forces bands to do better.

"If you make a new record and you have maybe two or three songs that are good, and the rest are kind of filler, what's going to happen is people download those three songs and that's it.

"Everybody has to make sure their record is bulletproof so it makes sense for the fans to buy the whole record." He also explained how fans play a part as well.

Hitler Enraged About Tool Album Delay In Viral Video

(Banana 101.5) "If Tool would go instrumental, they would have 2 f---ing albums by now, maybe 3!," yells an enraged Adolf Hitler in a new viral video. Banana 101.5 have the following details:

It's not easy being a Tool fan these days. Every time we think we're about to get a new album, Maynard does an interview and makes it sound like it's not even close. It's tough for all of us, but, apparently, Hitler is taking it the hardest.

Who knew that Hitler was even a Tool fan… and not just any fan, one of at least five in his crew that can accurately air drum to 'Lateralus.' And we thought we'd never find any common ground with, arguably, the worst person in the history of the world. Honestly though, he asks some valid questions and mirrors the frustration of every Tool fan.

Watch the video here.

U2 To Receive The Sonny Bono Visionary Award

(hennemusic) U2 will be honored with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award at the 25th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) this coming weekend.

The band will receive the honor at the event's Awards Gala on Saturday, January 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center; the Festival runs January 3-13.

"We normally present the Sonny Bono Visionary Award to a director, but for our 25th anniversary we wanted to take the occasion to celebrate U2, a visionary group and the world's premier rock band, for their unparalleled humanitarian work against extreme poverty, disease, and social injustice," said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner.

"Their latest song 'Ordinary Love' from the film Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom is an ode to Nelson Mandela, who had such a powerful impact on our world, and a man whom the band worked with in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. The Palm Springs International Film Festival is honored to present the 2014 Sonny Bono Visionary Award to U2." more on this story

Michael Schenker Love Of Playing Live Only Came Recently

(Classic Rock) Michael Schenker only started enjoying being on stage a few years ago, he's revealed. The guitar icon believes his current band, Temple Of Rock, marks the third stage of his career after previous periods included his time with UFO and the Scorpions.

And his new lease of life includes finally having fun during live performances – something he couldn't say about his past. Schenker tells Bravewords: "The first stage was to develop as a great guitarist and focus on pure self-expression, and that finished around the end of UFO.

"I opened the doors to Scorpions with Lovedrive, then when I was through I started Michael Schenker Group for experimenting, to develop musically as well as on a personal level.

"Around 2007 I started to develop the incredible liking of being on stage, which I never really had before. I was never keen on being on stage – I was more fascinated with playing guitar." more on this story

Skintrade Releasing First New Album Since 1995

(Classic Rock) Swedish veterans Skintrade will release Refueled, their first all-new studio album since 1995, in February via AOR Heaven Records, the band has confirmed.

The lineup of original members Matti Alfonzetti, Stefan Bergstrom, Hakan Calmroth and Hakan Persson have recorded a set of songs with titles including Liar, Close My Eyes, Been To The Bottom and Dynamo Sequence.

They say: "Refueled represents everything we stood for in the past and exactly where we are at the present. Our focus always was and always will be on the songwriting, and ferocious riffs and grooves to match." more on this story

3 Years Hollow Announce Tour With Saving Abel

3 Years Hollow will be kicking off 2014 by hitting the road with Saving Abel for a North American tour. The group is launching the tour in support of their new album, "The Cracks."

'The Cracks' us set to be released on February 11, 2014 and was produced by Sevendust guitarist/songwriter Clint Lowery (Lowery also guests on a track, "For Life"). Chipster sent over these details:

"We want to play melodic hard rock," explains singer Jose Urquiza. "That's the music that brought us together. At the same time, we all have drastically different influences from progressive rock to hair metal to pop punk."

Also included is the aforementioned "For Life," of which Urquiza describes as "It's about a person who is struggling and has fallen away from the world alone. You can see the damage and the demons the person deals with on a daily basis. However, all of a sudden, there is hope instead of despair. The final message is to pull away from the demons, stand strong against them, and keep them out for the rest of your life. It was such an honor to bring that track to life with Clint."

Instead of setting up shop at a single recording studio, it turns out that the sessions for 'The Cracks' occurred at several different studios, including Groovemaster Studios (where Disturbed, Sevendust, and Pop Evil have all recorded) in Chicago, IL, Trailer Studios in St. Louis, MO, and the band's own studio, Real Trax Recording, in Davenport, IA.According to Urquiza, it is also the realness of his lyrics that resonate greatly with fans. "Everything I write about is a completely personal experience or something I've witnessed or experienced myself. I talk about things I've seen or experienced. I want to give everybody something real." more on this story

Guns N' Roses' DJ Ashba Getting His Own Signature Les Paul

(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses and SIXX: A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba has announced the March 2014 launch of his own Signature Les Paul line, which will be released by Gibson Guitars. Ashba revealed the news via his social media sites on Monday.

While Guns N' Roses recently teased news of a South American tour next year, they have confirmed a headline appearance at the Hell & Heaven Metal Festival in Feria De Texcoco on Sunday, March 16.

GNR tops a bill that includes Rob Zombie, Lamb Of God, Opeth, Testament and more. KISS headline the opening night on Saturday, along with Korn, Twisted Sister and others.

Check out a photo of the guitar here.

Carlos Santana Kennedy Center Honors Tribute Video Goes Online

(hennemusic) Carlos Santana was among the recipients of the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors earlier this month in Washington, and video of the tribute to the guitarist is available.

The musical tribute started off with "Black Magic Woman" followed by "Oye Como Va." Blues icon and 2012 Kennedy Center honoree Buddy Guy stepped up to deliver a performance of "Hoochie Coochie Man", before Steve Winwood and Sheila E. played "Everybody's Everything."

Santana was honored alongside fellow 2013 recipients Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine, Herbie Hancock and opera singer Martina Arroyo. Check out the video of the Santana tribute here.

Robert Plant Posts Final Episode Of Zirka Series

(hennemusic) Robert Plant has posted the final episode in his 8-part web series, "Zirka", which documents his 2003 trip to perform in Mali and the Festival In The Desert.

Plant appeared at the famed festival alongside Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen and many others. Plant also recently posted an update on the status of a new album with his band, The Sensational Space Shifters.

Plant shared an update via Facebook, writing, "Sensational Space Shifters album..lost for words. Almost complete.." The Led Zeppelin singer is reportedly working on the project at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in southwestern England.

Watch the latest webisode here.

Descend Premiere New Song 'House of Despair'

(Prog) Swedish prog metal outfit Descend have released new track In Hours Of Despair. It's taken from their second album Wither, set for release on January 24 via Inverse Records.

The label explain: "From the opening drum fill in Confined By Evil all the way to the final ringing notes in Sundown, Wither takes the listener through a dark, thought-provoking, malevolent journey – certain to leave you asking for more."

Descend will perform the album in full during a launch event at Rocks in Stockholm on January 24. Until then you can listen to the new song here.

How a Party at Pete Wentz's Gave Plain White T's Their Big Break

(Radio.com) When the Plain White T's had a night off from Warped Tour in 2006, they headed to their friend Pete Wentz's new house in L.A. for the Fall Out Boy bassist's housewarming party.

The band had just mastered their fourth album, Every Second Counts, and had no idea that a chance meeting at the party would lead to hearing the album's first single "Hate (I Really Don't Like You)" on the radio the very next day.

"We show up to Pete's place and our A&R guy was there. As soon as we walk in he's like, 'Oh, that girl works for KROQ, she does programming for KROQ,'" frontman Tom Higgenson recalled of meeting Lisa Worden, assistant programming director and music director at KROQ Los Angeles (a Radio.com station).

"Me being buzzed, I went right up to her and was like, 'Hey, I'm Tom from Plain White T's.' And she's like, 'Oh, I've heard of you guys!' So we made her listen to the new single that we just got mastered that day."

"The next day, I woke up super hungover to a text from the A&R guy: 'On KROQ, call me,'" Higgenson continued. "They [KROQ] heard it the next morning, played it that day. Driving around later that day we got to hear it. It was badass."

Gibson Names Top 10 Rock Albums of 2013

(Gibson) It's the end of another year, and that means it's time for the Day in Rock's news partner Gibson.com to reveal their list of the finest rock albums of 2013.

1. Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork: Six years can seem like an absolute lifetime, especially when you're waiting for new Queens of the Stone Age material, but luckily Like Clockwork satisfies in every way imaginable and exceeds all preconceived expectations.

Fear not, frontman Josh Homme hasn't been idly twiddling his thumbs between records; he's been producing Arctic Monkeys, writing and touring with supergroup Them Crooked Vultures and becoming a father for the second time. Throw in some complicated and very painful knee surgery which led to a spell of deep depression and you can understand why this album is self-proclaimed as the toughest album QOTSA have ever made. Commercially, it's their most successful album, hitting the top spot on the US Billboard 100 – the highest of their career. Homme isn't one to allow friendship to interfere with the creative process and history kind of repeated itself when Homme fired long time drummer Joey Castillo during the recording process, akin to Nick Oliveri's departure in 2004. Homme won't say much about either. Still, with Castillo gone, Dave Grohl was a natural substitute for stickman duties and the record features a variety of guests including Mark Lanegan, Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner, the aforementioned Oliveri and even a rare cameo from piano heavyweight, Sir Elton John. Like Clockwork is eclectic dessert rock at it's finest. Homme's sultry and expansive vocal range is both alluring and tantalizing and the record itself - intelligent, majestic and unpredictable. Josh Homme and his merry men don't fail to deliver, once again.

2. Paramore – Paramore: Whoever thought Paramore were down and out when the Farrow brothers left the group three years ago, almost certainly ate their words when the band released their most recent record. The Franklin, Tennessee natives well and truly put their smell all over 2013 with the birth of their fourth record; their second self-titled - a collection of songs that evidence Paramore's ability to continue as a three piece with just as much horse-power as before and affirm a reintroduction to who they are as artists right now. Keeping true to their bubblegum emo-pop roots, Paramore is as catchy as it is thought provoking, but it's also simultaneously ballsy and sprawling, peppered with a plethora of other genres throughout the entire record. Hayley Williams, once again steps up to the plate and shows that she's still the pint-sized woman with the incredible, gargantuan voice, a little lady who's grown into a formidable front-woman and proves her worth as a writer too, with a credit for every single song on the record. Paramore illustrates that their co-founders swift exit and cutting critique of Williams and their record label didn't kill off the spirit of the band at all, it lit a fire under the remaining members and pushed them to create an album that is slightly dark, implicitly passionate and utterly thrilling.

3. Bring Me The Horizon – Sempiternal: Vocalist Oli Sykes has in the past said that Pantera is the only band universally liked by every member of Bring Me the Horizon, so working with producer Terry Date must have been nothing less than a fantasy come true. The band traditionally chose a desolate part of the Europe to write their records and England's picturesque Lake District was decided on for the inspiration and creation of Sempiternal- which is derived from the Latin word 'Sepiturnus' meaning 'eternal'. Shortly before the album's release and after almost three years in the band, Aussie guitarist Jona Weinhofen announced his departure fro BMTH and claimed credit for some a significant portion of the album - a statement that Sykes refuted and subsequently went on to write the track "Antivist." allegedly about Hofen - the lyrics of which reflect seething betrayal and unbridled anger towards his former comrade. Released on April Fools Day, 'Sempiternal' is anything but a joke. The Sheffield gang have produced a furious melting pot of death metal, post-hardcore and electronica - the addition of keyboardist Jordan Fish to the full timeline up, thickening up the latter. Each track blends palatably into the next, making for a cohesive record that is both melodic and emotive. Bring Me the Horizon have been known to divide the metal community and thrive on knowing that there are a community who despise them, but this album truly affords them acclaim and love them or hate them - they fully command and deserve respect.

4. Arctic Monkeys – AM: Anyone who brands Arctic Monkeys as 'indie' is sorely mistaken. This is a band who quite simply melt genre-boundaries for fun and 'AM' is easily their most experimental album to date. The record's tempo changes more frequently than the English weather and obviously hint and play homage to some of their most diverse musical influences, which range from Black Sabbath to Dr Dre. Even mentor/peer Josh Homme makes an appearance - an impromptu collaboration spawned from a 2am tequila-drinking session. AM is quite frankly, predominantly balls-to-the-wall rock – garage, desert, blues, psychedelic – you name it. Incorporating new instruments such as a piano, celeste and a drum machine on AM is testament to the fact that Arctic Monkeys are completely unafraid of taking risks and expanding their musical horizons. Alex Turner's thoughtful and inspiring lyrics are complimented by rich retro-pop vocal techniques and his move from brown-stoned Brooklyn to trendy Los Angeles has seen a slight image change in him too; donning a teddy-boy quiff and a more confident posture, he's arguably the coolest kid in music right now. Unquestionably one of the UK's most exciting exports, sky's truly the limit lads.

5. Clutch – Earth Rocker: Having the same original line-up for just shy of a quarter of a decade speaks volumes about the dynamic, ethos and dedication of Clutch. For a band who like to jam and create music organically, Clutch took a very different approach with Earth Rocker by mapping out exactly what they wanted to do before they had so much smelled the studio; a decision influenced by producer Machine. After touring with Thin Lizzy, Clutch wanted to make a straight up rock'n'roll record and by trimming the fat they've created an album that's daringly punchy and oozes testosterone. Brimming with authentic stoner blues like only a Clutch record can, Earth Rocker is propelled by motorized plug-in-and-play musicianship. It's not just full of soul, it's full of heart too.

6. Black Sabbath – 13: For a long time, it seemed like an original Black Sabbath reunion was about as likely as a lottery win, but thankfully the gods of fate smiled upon us and Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward hit the studio two years ago to record 13. Sadly, due to a 'contractual dispute', Bill Ward didn't participate in the recording sessions in the end and was instead relieved by Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk. With Rick Rubin at the helm, 13 demonstrates exactly what Sabbath can do despite being well into their 60s – still produce original material to support the genre that they invented. Their competition is obsolete. The band's eighteenth record boasts 8 tracks of spooky blues-infused heavy metal, deliciously doomy and awkwardly eerie. Recorded in the US and UK, 13 topped the charts in both - welcome back Black Sabbath - you are simply incomparable.

7. Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here: After the success of 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue it would have been criminal for Alice in Chains not to do another album with the current line-up. The controversially titled The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is the band's way of cheekily implying that some religious beliefs might be rather far-fetched, despite saying that they avoid the subject of religion at all costs (that and politics). The reborn AiC's sophomore release is a beast of a record – sludgy, dark and haunted with the chilling vocals of Jerry Cantrell - whose radical haircut threatened to steal most of the record's publicity. The grunge Godfathers confirm that they can still produce powerhouse material that's authentically Alice in Chains and any doubts to the prospect of their future are completely erroneous.

8. Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull: Let's face it, everything Kings of Leon touch turns to gold. They're incapable of making a bad album and that's why Mechanical Bull slots perfectly into their back catalogue of greatness and provides another step up on their ascent to new levels of success. The career of the ever-consistent Nashville natives has seen them graduate from garage rock to stadium rock and to keep record execs off their back, they even bought a studio to record Mechanical Bull in and eradicate the pressure of time constraints. Kings of Leon have had their well-documented rockstar moments but (maybe because they're all settled down and reproducing) their latest offering shows they've introduced a fierce aurora of romanticism into their exciting indie-pop bread and butter. In short, Mechanical Bull reaffirms KOL as kings of the charts and a real force to be reckoned with.

9. The Temperance Movement - The Temperance Movement: The Temperance Movement are a sure fire part of the reason that blues rock is still relevant in 2013 and their self-titled debut demonstrates this perfectly. TTM's Southern-infused 70's-esque classic rock blueprint discreetly nods to the likes of Skynyrd, Free and Peter Gabriel beneath the weight of gritty war-torn vocals. The band themselves describe the record as being about friendship, good times and redemption; all three matters being relatable. Even Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page has given them his stamp of approval, an honor bestowed to few. The Temperance Movement is an on the money self-titled snapshot of the group today - a new band with a bunch of real old souls.

10. The Dillinger Escape Plan – One of Us is the Killer: Over the years The Dillinger Escape plan have lost members to injury, conflict and even Coheed and Cambria, but as they approach the better part of two decades since their inception, their resilience is still remarkably impressive. The physical demand of being a member of TDEP is seldom acknowledged, but it is this energy and aggression that long-time producer and friend Steve Evetts never fails to deliver on record. One of Us is the Killer' showcases the band making a conscious effort to try new musical techniques and push themselves into uncomfortable mathcore territory. The album beholds an element of the unknown, whilst simultaneously being reassuringly Dillinger.

Agree or disagree? Share your reaction at Gibson.com here.

Singled Out: Butcher Knives Tell The Story Behind 'Tell Me Why'

Today Nikko Matiz from Butcher Knives tells us about their infectious song "Tell Me Why," which is the new single from their forthcoming new album "Misery." Here is the story:

"2009 was a brutal summer in Miami. Nacho's band had recently relocated from Colombia after 10 years of touring and was deteriorating rapidly. I was the tech and sound guy for their tours. Nacho and I always got along - we had similar taste in music. When Nacho's band went on hiatus, he called me and asked if I wanted to get together to write. I invited him over to my studio and "Tell Me Why" was one of the first songs we wrote together. It's about the breakup Nacho was going through with his high school sweetheart (they had been together for nine years). Between the breakup and problems with his band, Nacho was going through a very tough time - he was hardly eating and sleeping.

We started to write together regularly and ended up with a ton of material. Eventually, Nacho quit his old band and we focused on writing and recording for what would become Butcher Knives. We had to fly session musicians in from NYC because we couldn't find people in Miami who played the instruments we wanted, so when we finished the album when Nacho moved to NYC to assemble the band. The band has now been gigging for two years and we've got a great lineup of musicians from all over the world. I moved to NYC a few months ago (I had been flying in from Miami for gigs), we've got a music video out for "Tell Me Why" (shot, directed and edited by Nacho) and we're finally gearing up to give Butcher Knives the proper launch we've been planning and sweating over for more than four years."

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and check out the Tarantino-esq video here learn more about the band right here!