LIVE! : Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace & Sevendust

by Sara Mccarthy
Staff Writer

April 30, 2011 at The Times Union Center in Albany, NY.

Walking up to the Times Union Center in Albany, NY on a recent Saturday evening to receive a much needed dose of music therapy, it became apparent that the “Welcome to the Family” tour was where most of Albany’s population could be found. Starting at each door and snaking around the entire building were numerous lines of rockers chomping at the bit to gain entrance.

After being directed to countless incorrect locations all over the place, which made me wish for hiking boots and granola mix, I finally received my passes and made my way into the venue. Walking into a venue is always an electric feeling, the halls stuffed with beer vendors, merchandise booths and all of the trappings that go along with the show atmosphere. The crowd was filled with all age groups including the next generation of rockers, those under the age of thirteen. I have to say that I love seeing the young ones absolutely pumped to see some live music.

First on stage was Sevendust, a band I first saw acoustically about eight years shortly before the release of the album “Seasons”. This hard working band left a lasting impression and has lived up to my expectations every time since. This night was no different; touring in support of their latest album “Cold Day Memory” they started our adventure with the grinding guitar riffs created by of “Splinter”, followed by “Black” and one of my favorites “Driven”.

Like men possessed, Drummer Morgan Rose and Bassist Vince Hornsby used every ounce of energy pounding out the reverberating rhythm Sevendust is known for. Vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, was on fire this evening, working each side of the stage and absolutely on point with the rest of the band. “Strong Arm Broken”, and “Pieces” were followed by a short instrumental combination of “Master of Puppets (Metallica) and Walk (Pantera)” These two quintessential metal songs brought a collective roar from the crowd as well as some fresh mosh pits. Lajon and the crowd rode the intense wave of energy to end their set with “Face to Face.”

Sevendust Setlist:
1. Splinter
2. Black
3. Driven
4. Denial
5. Praise
6. Forever
7. Strong Arm Broken
8. Pieces
9. Master of Puppets/Walk (Instrumental)
10. Face to Face

After a short intermission and a rather efficient stage change; Three Days Grace took the floor. I was truly looking forward to their set, as this was my fourth time at one of their concerts and I knew what they are capable of. As soon as the crowd heard the opening strains of “The Good Life”, they erupted, screaming, jumping and best of all singing. Adam Gontier, Lead Vocalist, sounded great this evening and sporting a new hairstyle since I saw them last, was filled with boundless energy, running from one end of the stage to the other, all the while, never missing a beat.

The band stuck with their hits, of which there are many, which I consider a pretty smart move as the crowd ate it up. As a concertgoer of over twenty years, it is a fantastic thing to be able to sing along to every one of the songs a band plays. As “Pain” began, the combined voices of the crowd could be heard over the singer’s as they belted out the chorus.

The set continued on with “World So Cold”, “I Don’t Care”, and ‘Home.” A little surprise was in for us during “Home”, all of a sudden mid-song, they broke into Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” A lot of people around me looked confused, but I for one, was singing right along. It was an awesome and unexpected addition to the show. “Never Too Late” was next on the bill, and the crowd was asked for suggestions for the next song. We were told they were unable to play “Riot”, an announcement that started a lot of conversations speculating as to why, he then thanked the crowd for “Always true to rock music because so much stuff out there is crap and so many stations play horrible “Music” This got the crowd even more pumped, and this is when they broke into “Riot.” Insane is the word I would use to describe the reaction of the fans, but during the performance Frontman Adam Gontier was not happy with the amount of sitting patrons, and walked himself off of stage, into the crowd and all the way around the floor, sometimes going up a few steps into the sides. Giving high-fives, bumping fists, all the while singing his heart out. They closed out their set with “The Animal I Have Become”

This was another great show put on by a very talented group of guys who take what they make, mix it with what the crowd gives and create a unique, chill inducing musical experience that you will not soon forget.

Three Days Grace Setlist:
1. The Good Life
2. Break
3. Pain
4. I Hate Everything About You
5. World So Cold
6. I Don’t Care
7. Home (Including Eminem’s Lose Yourself)
8. Never Too Late
9. Riot
10. Animal I Have Become

Intermission number two was quite a bit longer than the first, and cloaked in mystery. I mean this literally, as a huge black curtain was draped across the front and sides of the stage blocking our view from what would be our introduction to the spectacle that is Avenged Sevenfold.

I have seen this band three times in the last two years and I admit I was not overly impressed the first time. Watching A7X grow as a band and as entertainers has been an impressive sight. These guys are very gifted musicians who know how to deliver, and to deliver in a huge, unforgettable manner.

As we waited for the black velvet curtain to drop and start the show, mists of fog were drifting out along the front of the stage and the crowd’s anticipation was a tangible thing. The lights went low and the curtain dropped. A lone light zeroed in on a doomed individual in the rafters high above the stage with a Hangman’s noose around his neck. All of a sudden this man plummeted down towards the stage and was violently hung. As he was twitching in the last throes of life, the recognizable bell tolls and hard, edgy guitar riffs of “Nightmare” began. This poor soul remained hanging, motionless through the duration of the song at which point two “Coroners” took him down and dragged his lifeless body off stage. All in all a pretty intense way to start a show!

The rest of the show was just as crazy, tons of pyrotechnics, firepots, flaming arches and explosions, a couple of which caught me and some others off guard and scared us half to death, which I am sure is why they were timed that way! Between the lights and the pyros, it was a visually astounding show.

M. Shadows, Lead Vocalist, dressed in his trademark shades, had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. He brought everything he had to the table, belting out the lyrics to “Critical Acclaim” and Welcome to the Family.” I found myself dancing and screaming right along with the rest of the fans during “Almost Easy” and “Buried Alive”

Zacky Vengeance (Rhythm Guitar) and Synyster Gates (Lead Guitar) are so much fun to watch, these two really know how to play off of each other and show off their amazing talents. Reminiscent of ‘80s rockers, this duo would gravitate towards the other and just tear the strings up and leave us watching in awe.

The Reverend, A7X beloved drummer who passed away in 2009, was eerily present as his backing vocals were put into the mix and through the speakers. Band members paid tribute to him and broke into a rather emotional version of “So Far Away.” It is apparent that although Drummer, Arin Ilejay fits right in with the group and is kicking ass showing he is a talented musician, there is still a deep hole left by The Rev’s passing.

This moving tribute was followed up by “Afterlife,” “God Hates Us,” and “Bat Country,” the song that really brought this amazing group of musicians to the front of the rock scene.

Through all of this the crowd tried to show its appreciation through mosh pits and crowd surfing, but it seemed as though security had other ideas by really keeping it to a minimum. At one point, five or six guards came leaping over the barricade in front of me, jumped into the middle of a pit and dragged a few people away. This was rather surprising, but did not dampen the overall positive mood and enjoyment of the fans.

The last song in their set was “Unholy Confessions” and the crowd was left wanting so much more. Their encore was started off by a piano being played, but no one at the bench, The Rev had once again been brought back into the show, his fingers were the ones playing the opening keys of “Fiction”, which was then followed by ‘Save Me”. It was a nice encore, but the mellow songs really seemed to sap some of the energy out of the crowd, and weren’t what I would typically expect from an encore. Then again, this is a band who seems to do things their own way, and sometimes going against the grain is a sure fire way to have fun and be noticed.

The night was filled with a crazy amount of great music, serious talent and bands that know how to give their fans what they want. I will be catching these three acts again as soon as they travel back into my part of the “Bat Country.”

Avenged Sevenfold Setlist:
1. Nightmare
2. Critical Acclaim
3. Welcome to the Family
4. Almost Easy
5. Buried Alive
6. So Far Away
7. Afterlife
8. God Hates Us
9. Bat Country
10. Unholy Confessions
Encore:
11. Fiction
12. Save Me

Photos courtesy of Sara Mccarthy

LIVE! : KC Rockfest Music Festival 2011

by Shawna McHenry Luehring & John Kindred
Staff Writer

Saturday, May 14th at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO.

Kansas City’s Rockfest kicked of its annual metal salute with Zakk Wylde performing the “National Anthem” with an armed forces color guard to more than 50,000 crazed fans. This year’s event was welcomed by a cold front instead of an onslaught of rain. After last year’s “Mudfest” debacle, local city leaders were fired up and demanded ending the use of Penn Valley Park as the stomping grounds for Rockfest.

Thankfully for fans, AEG, the concert promoter, paid to repair the damage caused by the 2010 event. Their efforts included putting down sod on the 14 acres of damage caused by the rain and the festival goers, who trampled down grass, which created a muddy mess and troublesome trash clean up. AEG and 98.9 the Rock have put in place safeguards to keep the event as clean and safe as possible, including additional trash cans, better placement of port-o-potties, additional security and added fencing.

As always, Rockfest is hyped as the Nation’s Largest Single-Day Music Festival and a concert event with reasonably priced food and beverages. Although this year’s crowd was not a sellout, there were plenty of fans on hand for the festivities.

This year’s lineup featured two band stages. Monster Energy sponsored the main stage, which featured headliners Disturbed, Stone Sour, Papa Roach, Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Hinder and Halestorm. The second stage was sponsored by Jose Cuervo and featured Black Label Society, All That Remains, 10 Years, Redline Chemistry, Crossfade, Art of Dying, New Medicine and Evalyn Awake.

The crowd seemed to relish in its patriotic side this year as Americans flags were visible throughout the crowd. Mardi gras beads where tossed out to those willing to show their “wares” to onlookers. Besides the music, Rock radio personality, “Moose,” officiated a wedding ceremony of about 20 couples or more. Turning back to the stages, the crowd was entertained by pornstar Ron Jeremy aka “The Hedgehog,” and Moonlight Bunny Ranch owner Dennis Hof, and his lovely sidekick, Bunny Love, made an appearance.

With the exception of 15 minutes of warm, bright sunshine for Papa Roach’s performance of “Burn” (pretty ironic), fans spent the cold, gray and windy day enjoying the metal mayhem.

Monster Energy Drink Main Stage:
Halestorm 1:30pm
Hinder 2:40pm
Sevendust 3:55pm
Alter Bridge 5:10pm
Papa Roach 6:30pm
Stone Sour 8:00pm
Disturbed 9:40pm

Jose Cuervo Drink Main Stage:
Evalyn Awake 12:00pm
New Medicine 1:00pm
Art of Dying 2:10pm
Crossfade 3:25pm
Redline Chemistry 4:40pm
10 Years 6:00pm
All That Remains 7:30
Black Label Society 9:00pm

KC Rockfest Music Festival 2011 Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Shawna McHenry Luehring

Disturbed, Korn & Sevendust LIVE!

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

March 12, 2011 at The Joint in Las Vegas, NM.

One of the hottest concert bills this year, Music As A Weapon Tour featuring Disturbed, Korn, and Sevendust made a special stop at The Joint in Las Vegas on March 12. Performing to a sold out crowd of metal fans, this tour did not disappoint.

Sevendust, who have been on the road touring relentlessly over the past year in support of their latest release Cold Day Memory. Opening with “Splinter”, Sevendust hit the stage like a sledgehammer. Let the moshing begin! I have seen Sevendust perform many times over the past year, and Vegas warmly embraced the hardcore rock band.

One of the greatest aspects of Sevendust is featured on their latest release, Cold Day Memory the band returns to the hard driving melodic rock riffs combining melody and heaviness wrapped around Lajon Witherspoon’s striking musical vocal style. Morgan Rose did an outstanding job of pummeling the heavier drum riffs around the song,” Black” and recent hit ‘Forever.” Sevendust’s heavy set crushed the Vegas crowd ending on a high note with “Face To Face.”

I recently had the opportunity to see Korn on the Mayhem tour last summer and was excited to see the band at one of the top music venues in Vegas The Joint. Anticipation filled the air, as Korn hit the stage with a vengeance. Opening with “Blind” the momentum of the audience kicked into full metal assault. Jonathan Davis ran around the stage like a lightning bolt, unleashing his unique vocal style amidst the razor sharp guitar riffs of James”Munky” Shaffer. Dressed in a suit and usual white make-up mask, James was mesmerizing to watch onstage. His guitar riffs cover a wide spectrum of musical genres.

Korn have a really unique sound that combines rap-metal-rock and nu-age. You just can’t help but become intrigued by their catchy riffs. Highlights of their set included, “Alone I Break”, and the very catchy “Falling Away From Me.” Saving the best for last, Korn did a medley of hits including “Coming Undone”, a great rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, “Twisted Transistor”, “Make Me Bad”, “Clown”, and Ya’ll Want A Single.” Korn also did a short meet and greet at the Monster Energy Booth before their set.

One of the top music acts in the industry today, Disturbed destroyed The Joint. Hitting the stage with a loud explosion and great stage show featuring a huge video screen with videos that coincided with each song. Disturbed rocked the house. Singer David Draiman commanded the audience with his powerful vocals. Opening with Asylum, their latest release on Reprise Records, Disturbed pulverized the audience with a sea of hits including “Liberated”, “Stupify”, “Ten Thousand Fists” Indestructible”, and ended the set with “Down With The Sickness.” Last time I saw the band was on The Jagermeister Tour in Boston. It was great to see the band in full command at the top of their game. A Saturday metal night in Vegas doesn’t get better than this. Check out the Music As A Weapon Tour when it hits your city.

Disturbed, Korn & Sevendust Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Deb Rao

Sydney Soundwave Festival 2011

February 27, 2011 at Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, Australia.

by Cameron Edney
Guest Staff Writer

For those of us who have already experienced the Soundwave Festival train this past week how fucking AMAZING was that!

So many amazing sets, I don’t even know where to begin, but give me time and there will be a full coverage review going around! No doubt highlights for me included Stone Sour, Nonpoint, Dimmu Borgir, Taking Dawn, Devildriver, Rob Zombie and Iron Maiden.

After covering 26 of the 60+ artists on the bill we’ve finally compiled a ton of great photographs for your viewing pleasure. Anyways enough from me, it’s time for the pictures to tell the story of what was one hell of a kick ass day for rock, punk and metal lovers in Sydney!

Featured bands include:
30Seconds to Mars
36 Crazyfists
Breath Carolina
Bullet for my Valentine
Devildriver
Dimmu Borgir
Every Avenue
High on Fire
Ill Nino
Kylesa
Murderdolls
MXPX All-Stars
Nonpoint
Primus
Rise to Remain
Rob Zombie
Sevendust
Slash
Stone Sour
Taking Dawn
The Sword
Trash Talk

Sydney Soundwave Festival Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Cameron and Aimee Edney

Carnival of Madness Tour LIVE!

August 4, 2010 at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT.

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

The Carnival of Madness Tour made a special stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena on August 4th performing to a packed house of fans coming from as far as Massachusetts to see the show. Tonight’s performance included Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Sevendust, and 10 Years. Chevelle wasn’t on the bill for the Mohegan Sun show.

10 Years opened the show at 6 P.M. with a strong 25-minute set. Having first seen the band before a few years ago before they got signed at The Middle East in Cambridge, it was great to see them progress to the arena setting.

Next up Sevendust hit the stage with a vengeance. Opening with “Splinter” from their latest release Cold Day Memory it didn’t take long for the mosh pits to begin. Singer Lajon Witherspoon took full control of the young audience. Sevendust only slowed things down for a moment with the song “Angels Son” and the frenzy began again with “Unraveling” the first single off of the new album that was very well received. The return of Clint Lowery has made a great impact with the overall sound.

Puddle of Mudd took Chevelle’s spot in this evening lineup. and opened with the song “Control.” The band performed their hits and had fans singing along to songs like “Spaceship,” Psycho,” and “She Hates Me.” Lead singer Wes Scantlin was very entertaining thanking the audience for coming out for the show. Guitarist Paul Phillips shined in an arena setting. Paul has made a great impact with his return showcasing the strength of the band with his songwriting skills on their current release Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate. Bassist Damien Starkey, replacing Doug Ardito, was very energetic onstage. One major highlight of the bands set was the sing along to the song “Blurry.”

The evening went relatively fast and it was time for Florida rock band Shinedown to take the stage at 9 P.M. for an hour and 45 minute set. Singer Brent Smith sporting a Black top hat, cane, and striped shirt played ringleader to a sea of 5000 fans opening with “Sound Of Madness.” Brent’s voice was captivating and the focus of the entire set. His vocal range went from melodic to hard rock adapting to every song in a flawless performance. Brent also dedicated “If You Only Knew” to all the women in the audience. He spoke with much enthusiasm announcing “Diamond Eyes” the song that can be heard in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone movie The Expendables.

Highlight of the set was the compelling, “The Crow and the Butterfly.” Singer Brent Smith proclaimed the Carnival of Madness Tour as the event of the summer. It is always a pleasure to watch a band develop into an arena act and hear their hit songs on radio. Reminiscing about seeing Shinedown for the first time on the Sno-Core Tour a few years back in Worcester at the Palladium, I had a feeling then that Shinedown would be huge musical act.
Shinedown came to play, with their set on the music, the band poured their heart into the evening’s performance.

Every band gave 100 percent. This was the perfect way to spend a summer evening listening to the bands making an impact today.

A Special thank you goes out to Julie Lichtenstein and Amanda Cagan, and Morgan Rose of Sevendust for making this review possible.

Check out our Interview with Morgan Rose of Sevendust right here at Hardrock Haven.

Be sure to catch Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer!

Puddle Of Mudd Set List:
Control
Livin’ on Borrowed Time
Spaceship
Stoned
Blurry
T.N.T.
Psycho
She Hates Me

Sevendust Set List:
Splinter
Praise
Denial
Angel’s Son
Black
Driven
Unraveling
Pieces
Face To Face

Shinedown Set List:
Sound Of Madness
Devour
I Dare You
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide
If You Only Knew
Diamond Eyes
.45
Call Me
Heroes
The Crow and The Butterfly
Her Name is Alice
Save Me
Son of Sam
Left Out

Encore:
Simple Man
Fly From The Inside
Second Chance

Photos courtesy of Deb Rao

Morgan Rose of Sevendust

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

The Carnival of Madness Tour featuring Shinedown, Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd, Sevendust and 10 Years made a special New England stop in Mansfield, Mass., at The Comcast Center on Aug. 1st and will be appearing at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Aug. 4th.

Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose checked in with Hardrock Haven to preview the upcoming concert and discuss in-depth the band’s latest release Cold Day Memory:

HRH: Morgan, Thank you for checking in with Hardrock Haven. Sevendust currently is on the road performing on The Carnival of Madness Tour. What have some of the highlights been so far?

MORGAN: It has been going great. We are kind of in the front of the middle of the lineup. So we are protected all over with bands before us and after us. It has been very cool to not to have to carry the weight. We have been headlining for so long. You have to carry that weight on the tour when you are doing that. It has been wake up, do some interviews, go to the venue and play for 45 minutes and grab some food out of catering, relax with have a few beers, watch TV and watch some bands. It has been really laid back for us. It has been a lot easier than what we have been used to. We are really close to a few of the bands on the tour. We get to hang out with them daily. It has just been really cool.

HRH: Tell us about the set-list for this tour. Is the band playing a lot of new songs off of Cold Day Memory?

MORGAN: We are doing a few. It is kind of a short set. We have eight records. It is not easy to put anything together that is going to make everybody happy. We switch them around every few shows to try and keep it fresh. We are doing a few new ones, and then we will be headlining in October, when we will be playing a lot off the new record and a lot of the old stuff, too.

HRH: The response has been phenomenal for Cold Day Memory. It is receiving so many great reviews. Tell us about the writing process for this album.

Morgan: We wrote the majority of it before we went into the studio. It was just a really fun album to record. I wrote a bunch of riffs. Then we got together in Atlanta. There were a handful of songs that didn’t make the actual recording process. We have a handful in the tank right now for extras that I think are amazing. It was a typical Sevendust writing session. We got into the studio in Chicago about halfway through the process. We had a head start when we got in there.

HRH: You also worked with producer Johnny K. Do you think he knows the band’s sound well?

MORGAN: Yes, he was respectful. He didn’t want to change the band, but he wanted to trim the fat. He wanted to give his opinion out there for us to listen to. When it was all said and done, he definitely was one of my favorites [producer] that we ever worked with just because he didn’t overstep his boundaries. He just kind of laid it out there with, “This is what I think, take it or leave it.”

HRH: Do you think that a lot of the success of the album is due to the fact that a lot of the fans can identify with the songs? A lot of the songs seem to deal with personal experiences.

MORGAN: Yeah, that has always been our thing, letting our guard down and allowing people into our personal life. If they can relate to it, sometimes it is unfortunate, but we let them know that we get it. If we can shine a little light for anybody that is going through a tough time, then that is an extra bonus to us. That is the kind of band that we have been for a long time. We will continue doing that.

HRH: Was the album collectively written?

MORGAN: I predominately have written most of the lyrics on the last three records. Then on this one, Clint was back in and was really involved with lyric writing with me. Lajon wrote some stuff. It definitely was a team effort on this one. Clint wrote a lot of lyrics, a lot of riffs and a lot of songs.

HRH: Would you say the band has come full circle with the return of Clint Lowery?

MORGAN: Yes, that sound is something that makes the band. The thing that started to depart was the fact we had three voices and a soulful singer on top of real heavy music with heavy vocals, and another singer in Clint that could go along with that. So we had three different voices. When we first came out on the scene, that was something new. I think that set us apart from other bands for a little awhile. When Clint left, we lost that extra voice. We lost his guitar playing, which was just something we had to have. That has been a full circle move for us, I believe.

HRH: What inspired the title of the new album?

MORGAN: That actually was Clint’s idea. We were in Chicago, and it all just kind of came together that way. It was freezing cold while we were there. We were just tossing song titles around. He had written that line in a song. Actually, that was a title to a song that we ended up changing that title to and using it as the album title. It was just that memory of being up there and it being freezing cold everyday.

HRH: As a drummer, you have inspired so many musicians and fans. What was it like to be voted by Drum magazine as one of the top drummers of all time? What was running through your mind when you heard the news?

MORGAN: It has been pretty cool. Whenever I see the people that win this, I kind of give a half smile and look around and say, ‘that guy is not the best guitar player in the world.’ I will see the list and Steve Vai is not even on the list of the top 100 guitar players of all time. My point is: I took it with a grain of salt. I was flattered. I believe, popularity-wise, I was voted that way. I won metal drummer of the year and performance of the year and knocked Lars Ulrich out of that spot. When that happened, I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and thought, ‘I am not the best drummer in that category, but my Mom will this so.’ My Mom will really like those awards. I don’t take compliments really well. But I was flattered, and I can’t lie; it was nice to hand that stuff over to my parents.

HRH: What inspired your clothing line Alien Freakwear?

MORGAN: It was pretty funny. We were doing a signing one day; Vinnie was right after me after the signing at this table. There were a lot of people in this line. Vinnie would sit there and talk to people. We call him the Mayor. I do talk a lot with people, but I would get to the point that I didn’t know what else to say. I started doodling. I had a few people that would make jokes that you look like an alien with your hair all crazy and how you act. I was doodling, and I doodled that little alien on somebody’s signature. After the signing was over, people that didn’t get that little guy started coming back to the line, asking me to put that little guy on their signature. Somebody told me you should put that one a T-shirt. That is a cool logo. I said, ‘Who would buy it?’ They said that we have a lot of people that follow your band. You might be surprised. So we had three tries at it. I had the misfortune of allowing people that I haven been in relationships with handle it. It is not the financial side of it that bums me out. The first go-around, when the split happened, people weren’t getting any of their stuff. The person quit sending the stuff, and fans were angry. I didn’t know who was supposed to be getting anything. I have it handled now by somebody that I am not sleeping with. You have to go to www.alienfreakwear.com to get it. I just kind of kept it underground for now.

HRH: Last year, you filled in for Tommy Lee on Cruefest when he injured his hand. What was that experience like. Are you good friends with Tommy Lee?

MORGAN: Yeah, I have known him for a really long time. It was a nightmare and a dream come true all in one. I was really excited to be able to hang with him. Contrary to what anybody might think, I had never played a Motley Crue song in my life. I had an hour and 20 minutes to get ready for that concert. There were six or seven songs off of Doctor Feelgood that I never even heard in my life. It was really stressful to be sitting up there and have Tommy Lee talking in the microphone in my ears telling me, ‘Here comes the bridge and count me off 2, 3,” and I would change. He would say, ‘We are going back to the verse here.’ It was really nerve wrecking to be learning a song with someone kind of guiding you through it in front of 25,000 people. It was pretty awesome. I have been close with him for a long time. I love him. We have a really cool friendship. I went to the Bahamas with him in between the tour, when we had a break. It was a really, really cool thing.

HRH: What are your future touring plans after COM wraps up?

MORGAN: Yes, we are going to headline in October. On this tour, we are doing a bunch of meet-and-greets. The Monster people have been fantastic. It has been a really cool tour. I didn’t know what really to expect. All the guys are awesome in Shinedown. We go out in the crowd a lot. It has been a really successful one, too. Nowadays, it is not easy to get a bunch of people in seats.

HRH: I think, too, the ticket prices are at a moderate price so the fans can afford it, which is good. The bands are outstanding. Some of the best touring bands in the business.

MORGAN: I have looked at the numbers that everyone is doing on some of the other tours, and there is not much going on that is doing more than this. It is pretty exciting. I am glad to be a part of it.

Rock On The Range 2010 LIVE!

May 22 & 23, 2010 at Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

by Chris A. & Deb Rao
Staff Writer

[author: Chris A.] It’s the fourth time Columbus has hosted the “Rock on the Range” festival and by the size of the audience you’d never know there was any kind of economic crisis. With approximately 50,000 people attending each day, “Rock on the Range” is proving to be “the” show of the year in the upper Midwest of the United States. Three stages, 30-plus bands, dozens of vendors and lots of creative merchandise for sale, it’s a big party and a very good time. As with past years, there were three stages; the Monster Stage was the main stage inside the Columbus Crew Stadium while the Kicker Stage was located on the north side of the stadium and the smaller Jaegermeister Stage was positioned on the south. “Rock on the Range” has always been a great place for upstart “baby bands” to get some exposure plus they don’t seem to shy away from including diverse acts on the bill. In the case of Rock on the Range, a show known primarily as a “metal festival” it was interesting that the show would be opened and closed by rap oriented acts. Headliners for Saturday on the Monster Stage were, “Rise Against”, “Three Days Grace” and “Godsmack”. On Sunday the main bands were, “Seether”, “Rob Zombie” with “Limb Bizkit” closing the festival.

Despite a damp start to Saturday, gray clouds and occasional sprinkles didn’t appear to hold the crowd back as the yellow benches in Crew Stadium started to disappear as fans arrived to the show. At noon, the show started with Windsor, Ontario Detroit Tigers fan, “Richy Nix,” a tall thin white-guy from Ontario, rapping to metal. Twenty minutes later on the main stage, “Sevendust” exploded into their set, erasing any memories of cockeyed baseball caps and robotic hand gestures, with in-your-face metal intensity. Nearly 11 hours later the sound of electric guitars and the gritty metal of “Godsmack” faded as day-one came to an end.

Sunday was a glorious day, blue skies, beautiful hot sun and no indication of rain. At noon, “Shaman’s Harvest” a great young band, opened the show on the Kicker stage. Over the course of the next 11 hours Apocalyptica performed its brand of “metal”. Australian metal band “Airbourne” made a lot of friends and demonstrated why we all love blues-based rock ‘n’ roll! At nearly 10 pm, Fred Durst and the now out-of-seclusion “Limb Bizkit” capped off an incredible two-days of great music.

With three stages and almost invariably two running at one time, it was impossible for anyone to see all the bands. As seems to be the case with Columbus rock ‘n’ roll crowds, the fans were very mellow at Rock on the Range. It was a big party with lots of beer and thousands of friends. Sitting back and observing, It was amazing to watch the incredibly orderly procession of thousands of people snaking along the paths to get from stage to stage. Venue security, the Columbus Police Department (who were there in numbers) were extremely fan-friendly and were clearly there to keep an eye on things and to snatch up the occasional drunk-moron who got a bit too out of hand.

Each performance day started at 12 noon and for the most part the show stayed on time and ran smoothly. “Rock on the Range” 2010 was a very successful event with great bands and thousands of happy fans. Keep any eye here for interview articles from John 5, Airbourne and others from the weekends show. For more information on “Rock on the Range” visit www.rockontherange.com You can also see my photos of “Rock on the Range” by visiting www.chrisa.us

Rock on the Range Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Chris A. and Deb Rao

[author: Deb Rao] As thousands of rock fans descended to Columbus, Ohio at Crew Stadium, one thing was for certain the sporting venue was turned into a rock and roll extravaganza for one of the most anticipated events of the summer Rock On The Range 2010. The event promised to feature one of the most solid line-ups to date. This year Rock On The Range was hosted by Mistress Juliya and broadcast live by Nikki Sixx and his new hit radio show Sixx Sense.

Tattoos, body jewelry and rock clothing venders filled the area to the hilt. The crowd featured a young audience and some older fans of the older bands. One of the most exciting aspects of this year’s line-up on May 22 headlined by Boston’s Godsmack with the diversity to the line-up. ROTR featured the best in punk, alternative, hip-hop and hard rock cutting edge bands making an impact in music today. The festival featured three stages of music included the Jager Stage. Kicker Stage, and Monster Stage. I found myself mostly stationed at the Kicker Stage but after the days shooting of that stage was over, I managed to catch full sets of Rise Against, Three Days Grace, and Godsmack. More on the main acts later.

My journey began early in the morning from Boston, as my flight landed in Columbus, Ohio a tad late due to flight delays. But no worries a full day of music was ahead of me. One of the first acts I had the pleasure of seeing was Eleven Seven Music recording artists Drowning Pool on the Monster Stage. This band is one of the hardest working bands in music today. Singer Ryan McCombs has picked up the pieces and breathed new life into the band. As the sun tried to break through the ominous clouds, Drowning Pool heated up the stage with a set that included these songs,”Enemy,” “Sinner”,”37 Stitches,” Feel Like I Do”,”Regret”,”Tear Away”, and “Bodies.”

Next up on the Monster Stage was Puddle of Mudd who is in the midst of a successful headlining tour. Puddle Of Mudd is best when performing at festivals like this. Lead frontman Wes Scantlin always manages to get the crowd rolling and today’s performance was no exception. The band opened with the ferocious “Control”, as Wes took full control of the moment and the mosh pits began. Slammin’ into new song “Spaceship’ let the party begin as Wes yelled,”What’s up Motherf***ers?” Highlight of the set with fists in the air included the AC/DC cover “TNT.”

I proceeded to make my way to the Kicker Stage to catch one of the most exciting and promising acts of the day Halestorm. Mistress Juliya introduced the band as Lzzy Hale dressed in a black and red dress and hit the stage with a set that was clearly mesmerizing. Halestorm opened their set with “It’s Not You.” The ’80s had Heart and Pat Benetar as the reigning rock queens. Well, this is the Millennium and Lzzy Hale most definitely deserves the title as best new female of the decade. Lzzy can rock with the best of them and Halestorm clearly won the title for best act on the Kicker Stage at ROTR 2010.

It was great to see all the female musicians performing here today. Next up another great band that gave an outstanding performance was Christian rock band Skillet. Fronted by John Cooper, his wife Korey Cooper on guitar was also spellbinding. Jen Ledger was featured on drums. The band also featured a cello and violin, which added a nice flavor to the hard rock sound. Highlights of the set were the songs “Hero”, and “Monster.”

The Kicker Stage featured some of the best acts all day. Next up Killswitch Engage made Massachusetts proud. It was exhilarating to see all the talent from the Mass area here today. Highlight of the Killswitch Engage set was when singer Howard Jones dedicated the song “Holy Diver” to the legendary Dio. Metal horns in the air. May you rest in peace.

Throughout the day many of the bands held meet and greets including Adelita’s Way and Puddle Of Mudd. It was great to see the inter-action between fans and bands. This festival is all about the music. The rock stars left their attitudes at the door and chatted with the fans and showed their appreciation.

The event was blessed by the weather this year as the sun finally broke through the crowds with temperatures in the 80′s. Finally, the Kicker Stage music was over and now it was time to enjoy the Monster Stage. The floor began to fill up to capacity for The Deftones. I spoke with many fans who were eager to see the band. The Deftones took full advantage of the set premiering many new songs from their latest release Diamond Eyes. They are definitely one of the best punk rock bands around; true pioneers.

One of the most promising acts on the Monster Stage was Rise Against. I never heard of them before and really enjoy their high-energy set. The award for most promising act on the Monster Stage would have to go to Three Days Grace. This is a band that you associate all their hits on the radio when you hear them they play live and you go “I know that song.” This was my first time seeing this Canadian band perform live and I have to say I was very impressed by Adam Gontier vocals. Sporting a black hat, Adam and company delivered a set that was powerful and poignant. Adam is the master of love gone wrong songs. I highly enjoyed the “I Hate Everything About You.”

Boston’s Godsmack was the headliner on the Monster Stage and did Boston Proud. Sully Erna took full control of the Mid-western crowd and showed them how we rock in Boston. Their set list included

Godsmack Set List:
Awake
Straight Out of Line
Re-Align
War and Peace
The Enemy
Bad Religion
The Oracle
Cryin’ Like a Bitch
Keep Away
Speak
Voodoo
Batalla de los Tambores

Spotted in the audience, was Jackass star Jason Acuna. Actually, he was sitting in back of me with a beret of beauties on his lap. The announcer of the show commented that this years show broke all attendance records. Rock On The Range 2010 proved to be a haven for rock fans to unite and enjoy some of the best cutting edge bands in music today. It was a time to make new friends, spend time with old friends, and celebrate the exciting new wave of music today.

Special Thanks to the great staff of MSO for letting Hardrock Haven cover Rock On The Range 2010. Be sure to check out Rock On The Range interviews with Puddle Of Mudd, Sevendust, Richy Nix, and coming soon Adelita’s Way and Apocalyptica.

Rock On The Range May 22 Line-up:

Monster Stage:
Sevendust 12:25
Drowning Pool 1:40
Puddle of Mudd 2:55
Papa Roach 4:15
Deftones 5:35
Rise Against 7:05
Three Days Grace 8:51
Godsmack 9:45

Kicker Stage:
Richy Nix 12:00
Violent Soho 1:05
Adelita’s Way 2:20
Halestorm 3:40
Skillet 5:00
Killswitch Engage 6:20

Jager Stage:
Like A Storm 12:00
Taddy Porter 1:05
Janus 2:20
Non Point 3:40
Helmet 5:00

Clint Lowery

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

SEVENDUST has just released one of their most anticipated, passionate, and personal albums of the year, Cold Day Memory. The Atlanta, Georgia rock band is currently on tour in support of their latest release and looking forward to performing at one of the biggest U.S. Festivals this Summer, Rock On The Range on May 22. To add to all of the excitement of this whirlwind year, Sevendust will be joining The Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer. Sevendust’s features original lineup – Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Morgan Rose (drums/vocals), Clint Lowery (guitar/vocals), Vince Hornsby (bass/vocals) and John Connolly (guitar/vocals).

One of the reasons of the success of Sevendust’s latest release Cold Day Memory is due to the return of guitarist Clint Lowery. Clint, who re-joined the band two years ago makes his mark with vocals and with guitar arrangements that are passionate, and spellbinding textured around the melodically aggressive vocals of Lajon Witherspoon, Every song stands on its own personal and up-close inflicting lyrics that everyone can identify with at some point of our lives. From the hauntingly love gone wrong song “Forever Dead” to their new hit single “Unraveling.” Cold Day Memory touches upon every aspect of life. The good, the bad, the trials and tribulations that we endure are all exposed in an album this is well crafted from start to finish. Sevendust return to the scene energized with a sound that is larger than life.

Guitarist Clint Lowery gives us an up close and personal look of his track-by-track account of Cold Day Memory. Clint also discusses the current Sevendust tour, Rock On The Range, and upcoming Carnival of Madness Tour at Hardrock Haven. Clint Lowery of Sevendust on Rock On The Range,”Yes, it is going to be awesome. It is always nice to be part of that thing. That festival has taken on some legs. It is a huge deal. It is probably of the biggest ones in the U.S. right now. It feels good to be part of it, playing there with our piers. To play in that competitive atmosphere is great.”

HRH: Sevendust is currently on tour. I know the band is playing your hometown of Atlanta on Friday. How is the tour going so far?

CLINT: The tour is going good so far. We have been out for a long time so this is just like another day in the office. We are excited on the new record being out and playing new material. So that is good.

HRH: I have heard the new album. It is fantastic. Tell us about the writing process.

CLINT: It usually starts with John and I. We have the seeds of the music. Then we get together and play through it. On this record the guys let me do a lot of the writing. I have been gone for three records. I got involved a lot on the vocals and lyrics and everything. It is always a group effort in the end. It takes all of us to do it. I have a lot of drive on this record. I really wanted to put my two cents in. I had a good time doing it.

HRH: Do you think the band has come full circle now that you returned to the mix?

CLINT: Yes, in a way it made me appreciate the band a lot more. The guys are my brothers. It is our lively hood and we take it real serious.

HRH: What prompted you to return to the band? I know you said you were gone five years and recently returned two years ago to the band.

CLINT: Just the fact that it is family. It was all down to being happy the way you want to live. Those guys I am comfortable with them. They are my family. It was a creative decision that I thought would be the best thing. It was an emotional, personal decision as well.

HRH: The new single is called “Unraveling.” Is there a new video out for the single too?

CLINT: There is a collage of the making of the record. It is just us in the studio. But the video is on MTV 2 or you can watch it on our official website.

HRH: Sevendust is going to be performing at Rock On The Range on May 22. Are you looking forward to performing the new material to the masses at one of the most anticipated festivals of the year?

CLINT: Yes, it is going to be awesome. It is always nice to be part of that thing. That festival has taken on some legs. It is a huge deal. It is probably of the biggest ones in the U.S. right now. It feels good to be part of it, playing there with our piers. To play in that competitive atmosphere is great.

HRH: Also, it was just announced that Sevendust is going out on the road with Shinedown on the Carnival of Madness Tour. Are you looking forward to this tour?

CLINT: Yes, that is going to be awesome.

HRH: How do you think Sevendust has evolved since back in the day?

CLINT: It is just natural things. We get older, we get more experience. We find a shortcut to do things. You kind of have to challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone. You just grow. Things change. The things that you like change. I think the music kind of reflects that.

HRH: I noticed on this album too that Cold Day Memory is full of melody. How difficult was it to go through all the guitar structure and tones? Did you have anything specifically in mind when writing the album?

CLINT: No, we just kind of wanted to do what was natural to us. That always seemed to work. Sometimes it ends up a little melodic and sometimes it ends up really aggresive. We just wanted to have all of those flavors. Because we can do it. We have a lot of different singers. A lot of different textures that we can add to our music that some bands don’t. We utilized it all.

HRH: Clint, is there anything else that you want to say about the new album?

CLINT: I want to thank everyone for the great response for it. We appreciate every bit of it.

Sevendust Clint Lowery Track By Track of Cold Day Memory

l. “Splinter”- “That is the one we wanted to re-capture our childhood with an Iron Maiden metal type of thing. There was a lot of high energy when we did that. We knew that was going to be the first one on the record.”

2. “Forever Dead”- “Is kind of a dysfunctional kind of love song. Are you going to be stuck with me forever? That is what the topic of it. It is a great love song.”

3. “Unraveling”- I wrote with Dave Bassette. Basically, we wanted to talk about the exposing of either a parent or a authority figure of some kind that is fake and let you down when you rally needed them.

4. “Last Breath” -”Is kind of a last I will to go my grave kind of saying. I will keep trying to get through hard times until I am gone.”

5. “Karma” – “Karma is basically self explanatory. It is about calling yourself out on the things that you do. When you make mistakes you are going to pay for them. When you do good you are going to be rewarded.”

6. “Ride Insane” – “Trying to get lost riding motorcycles.”

7. “Confessions (Without Faith)” – “Confessions is our band’s story. Our situation as brothers and what we go through as a band together.”

8. “Nowhere” – “This is one of the funniest songs we had doing. It is just a song about the way the world is. How we all kind of follow the media and all that stuff like a cattle kind of things.”

9. “Here And Now” – “That is about I am in desperate need of support or help. It is kind of like having run ins waking up the next day after you exerted yourself a lot. You’re just in.”

10. “The End Is Coming” – “It is just the basic truth that the end comes for everyone. No matter what.”

11. “Better Place” -”Is about my personal fight with drugs and alcohol. My years of struggle with that. I thought I would write a song about it.”

12. “Strong Arm Broken” – “That is about an ex or someone you just want to beat the hell of.” (Laughter)

Visit Sevendust on the web: www.myspace.com/sevendust

DROWNING POOL TO JOIN SEVENDUST ON UPCOMING TOUR

New York, NY (January 21, 2010) – All American Anthemic rockers, Drowning Pool will be joining Sevendust on an upcoming tour throughout the mid-south and northwest regions in the US. The trek begins on February 18 at The Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge, LA. Tickets go on sale this Saturday and Sunday with Kansas City, MO going on sale January 29 (please see tour dates below for specific ticket on sales). Tickets can be purchased at www.drowningpool.com. Read more