Mr. Lowery Plays "Angel's Son" with Sevendust

To honor the life and legacy that Clint & Corey Lowery's dad left behind, we found really cool video of Sevendust playing "Angel's Son" when they invited Mr. Lowery out on stage to help them. It's truly a surreal moment and really shows the love all the Sevendust nation and the Lowery family had for this great man. Today we honor you, Mr. Lowery!

The "Empire" Strikes Back | Eye Empire in Janesville Tonight

Our boys from Eye Empire at it again. They're bringing their kick ass music back to southern Wisconsin and playing the Back Bar in Janesville tonight. Their playing with a killer lineup including all the original members of SOIL (except for the drummer) so it's going to fill up quick so make sure to get down and check them out.

We have covered Eye Empire since their start and tonight is our chance to prove to all of you how good they truly are. A local, close-up show so you can see for yourself how badass these guys truly are. Each and every one of the members are extremely talented and carry their own unique type of stage presence that makes their show incredible. And to boot their music is all killer, no filler. The coolest part about the guys? At almost every show, they try and take time to come and meet fans face to face and give you all the time that you deserve for supporting them. Come down to the Back Bar tonight in Janesville, WI and see for yourself why Eye Empire is quickly becoming a force to reckon with in the hard rock industry. You WILL NOT be disappointed. Check out our interviews with the guys from a few months to get pumped up for the show and we'll see you all tonight

	Interview with Vocalist Donald "DC" Carpenter: Donald talks about where he's come from, how far he's come in doing so, and where the Empire is going, now that he's part of the family!
	Interview with Guitarist BC Kochmit: Brad shares his side of the Empire with us, talks about filling in for Clint, in Sevendust, and what we can expect in the near future!
	Interview with Bassist Corey Lowery: Corey & Brad started jamming together a few years ago, and what began with two good friends writing and hanging out, is now the foundation of an empire: one full of fans, friends and lots of fun!

Slipknot Members Form Movie Production Company

Photo by: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage

Yes, you read that right. And yes, it's going to be as badass as it sounds. Lead vocalist Corey Taylor and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan, a.k.a. Clown, have formed a film production company called Living Breathing Films. They told Rolling Stone Magazine that they are going to be heading to the world renowned Sundance Film Festival to officially unveil the company. Even more exciting, they said their films would intertwine Slipknot's music and flair for the aesthetic all over. Crahan is widely known around the music industry to be one of the most creative artists going on to say;

"Our movies are going to be psychological. They’re going to affect you. When The Exorcist came out people got up and left after 15 minutes and that turns us on," Crahan says. "If I haven’t got someone to leave in five minutes for at least one of my films then I’m not doing my job."

Taylor's love for film runs deep. Crahan told Rolling Stone that when Slipknot made "their first bit of scratch" that Taylor went out and bought $10,000 worth of DVDs.

"I just watched Good Will Hunting a week ago and I actually cried three times in the movie," Crahan says. "That’s what Robin Williams can do to me – he can make me laugh as a comedian, but as an actor I completely believe him," Taylor said.

One of the coolest parts of this story is that the pair will be absolutely hands on when it comes to their films. Crahan is said to eventually want to direct and Taylor will even write and star in the films. However, they'll take their time for now.

Read the entire Rolling Stone Interview here

Eye Empire Talks About "I Pray"

Eye Empire just released a killer video talking about the song "I Pray" and where the lyrics and music came from. D.C. (Donald Carpenter) and Corey Lowery discuss the song, 2012 tour plans, and much more! Check it out.

Dark New Day "New Tradition" Review

Imagine being able to concoct a musical Frankenstein out of some of the best hard rock and metal bands out there today. Take your pick of the strongest appendages off of the most maniacal and well-known bands from the past decade and stitching them together with a strong, fibrous, passion for kick ass rock n' roll. Guitarist Clint Lowery (Sevendust),  drummer Will Hunt (Evanescence), guitarist Troy McLawhorn ( Evanescence) vocalist Brett Hestla (Virgos Merlot) and bassist Corey Lowery (Eye Empire) have been pieced together to form this rock n' roll juggernaut. Fuel it all with the desire to give the fans what they so deserve, and you have Dark New Days' new album, New Tradition. And let me tell you, you better run and hide because this album is all killer, no filler.

"We’re very excited about the new Dark New Day release,” proclaims Clint. “It seems the time is right to make these songs public and share with the fans that continue to support this project. We believe this music is still very valid and powerful today, and think its mandatory we give these songs a fair chance out in the music world. We owe it to ourselves and the DND fans. New Tradition sums up the mindset we were in writing the follow-up to Twelve Year Silence."

The album opens as you would expect it a group of some of the best metal musicians would start an album. Monstrous riffs and drum beats from the likes of Lowery, McLawhorn and Hunt in the song "Fist from the Sky." The hellacious pace of the chorus makes you get up and move. This has got to be the band's next single that is released to radio, as it has tons of hook with mountains of originality. The song has more layers than a french pastry and it is perfectly topped with Brett Hestla's amazing voice.

Next up is the aptly titled "Come Alive." You can almost see the lightning charging into this musical monster with the growl of the bass line. I really think this song showcases the true talent that Clint's brother Corey has on bass. Just give this song one listen and you can see why he's quickly becoming a favorite in the world of rock. I'm personally a guitar guy who likes crisp technical work and badass solos so fast that I can't even move my fingers fast enough to replicate when I'm shredding my air guitar. But in this song Corey gives a whole new appreciation to the old saying that "The untrained ear won't ever hear the bass, but without it and the song falls apart."

Soon comes the album's first single that has been released to radio stations around the country is the title track, "New Tradition." It definitely has that radio feel with catchy lyrics and addictive guitar riffs. I can already picture fans singing along at their next DND concert. With a patented guitar solo that isn't intended to impress guitar gurus (we all know that Clint and Troy could melt our ears if they intended too with a solo), but it builds with the tempo of the song perfectly and provides a spot-on bridge to the ending. Definitely a song we'll all be hearing a lot of radio stations near you.

The entire album has incredible musicianship layered throughout the entire thing. Each song you hear, you can identify another highlight of a different band member and why they are highly touted. It's like watching your favorite movie over and over again. Every time you watch (listen) to it, you find another part that is awesome and just makes you want to see (hear) more. If you don't buy this album when it comes out, not only are you not a fan of true hard rock and metal, but I'm going to put it out there and say you're anti-fun. Don't be a fun sponge! Go buy Dark New Days' "New Tradition;" you can thank me later.

Buy Dark New Days' NEW TRADITION February 28th!

Dark New Day to Release New Album

Clint Lowery (guitarist from Sevendust), Will Hunt (drummer from Evanescence), Troy McLawhorn (guitarist from Evanescence), Brett Hestla (lead singer/guitarist from Virgos Merlot) and Corey Lowery (bassist from Stereomud and Eye Empire)—will release their highly anticipated sophomore album,NEW TRADITION, February 28 on Goomba Music (distributed by eOne Music). The first single, “New Tradition” is currently being serviced to radio stations nationwide.

NEW TRADITION is the follow-up to 2005’s debut album, TWELVE YEAR SILENCE, which was released on Warner Bros. Records. In 2006, the band releasedTHE BLACK PORCH ACOUSTIC SESSIONS EP after being on tour for over a year with Chevelle, Seether, Crossfade, and many others. After the EP’s release, they got to work on what would eventually be their second album, known at the time as HAIL MARY. Going through many employee and management changes, Warner Bros. decided to release the band from their contract, leaving the HAIL MARY album to be unreleased. It was at this point that DARK NEW DAY went on a hiatus, with the members either returning to their previous bands or venturing out into new projects.

The fire for new DARK NEW DAY material continued to burn in both the band members and the diehard fan base alike. The band came together in 2011 to compile tracks from HAIL MARY, along with newly written and recorded songs, for a special album which will be released as a "Thank You" to all the loyal fans that have continued to follow the band and request more material from the group.

"We’re very excited about the new DARK NEW DAY release,” proclaims guitarist Clint Lowery. “It seems the time is right to make these songs public and share with the fans that continue to support this project. We believe this music is still very valid and powerful today, and think its mandatory we give these songs a fair chance out in the music world. We owe it to ourselves and the DND fans. NEW TRADITION sums up the mindset we were in writing the follow-up to TWELVE YEAR SILENCE."

Clint Lowery's Demons & Skeletons Bring Hope with new "Words That Sing Well" CD

Photos by Kelly Lloyd

From the start, the name Hello Demons Meet Skeletons conjures an image of two bad guys being introduced in an awkward, unexpected moment in time and quite possibly throwin' down. So far so good...Now go a bit deeper. Drag some skeletons from your own figurative mental closet, face them off with a few of the collective, emotional demons that live each and every one of us. You get the idea.

It isn't easy to write songs. Certainly, writing about sensitive topics that are personal in an extreme nature can't be any easier. But Clint Lowery isn't afraid to be honest about what he's been through. As a matter of fact, he'll tell you it's a part of the whole process of recovery.

Back in 2008 I ordered Clint's first Hello Demons Meet Skeletons CD online, called Chills. I thought I had a pretty good idea about what to expect because I'd heard it would be an all-acoustic, toned down, mellow version of some songs Clint wrote and recorded. So naturally, since I'm a decade-plus Sevendust fan, I figured we'd get some songs that were similar to "Xmas Day," "Angels Son," "Skeleton Song." Things like that. What I didn't know was that the lyrical content would be so excruciatingly honest and sorrowful, while remaining tangibly awesome.

 With the new release on April 19 of Clint's CD WORDS THAT SING WELL, I wasn't expecting anything this time, other than great music. Will this one be sad and reflective as well? Is this one different, more upbeat? Now that Clint is married and he and Tara have a beautiful baby, how will this reflect in the music? I won't give anything away other than to tell you that I find this CD utterly hopeful and it makes me smile a great deal. It's been written over the times that Clint has come to find more happiness than he'd expected, so perhaps that will shed some light on things, until you go get the CD yourself. If you already have it, as I suspect most of you reading this DO, then I'm certain you will agree that he has not only outdone himself, he's earned a great deal of respect.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that the songs are beautifully sung with some of the most touching harmonies and melodies in the music. If you have not ever heard him sing or play acoustic guitar, you're truly missing out, and I hope that you will at the least go to www.clintlowery.net, check out his new, awesome website (built by Natural Synthetic) and check out the samples of the songs on Itunes under HELLO DEMONS MEET SKELETONS! If you prefer the hard copy CD, they are hand signed, so get one while they're still available, and you'll also get all the tracks from Chills on the new CD, Re-Mastered!

Clint was very gracious to spend some time sharing some of the background as well as the inside of this project that means a lot to him and has come to mean a great deal to many of us...

Interview with Ari of Destrophy

Written by Aaron Manogue

It seems like Iowa is good at producing two things: 1) Tons and tons of corn 2) Kick-ass metal bands. HRR has come across yet another of the latter in the band Destrophy. The Iowan quartet based out of Des Moines started all the way back in 2002 by highly-respected and enormously talented producer, singer/songwriter Ari Mihalopoulos, who at the time scouted the entire state in search of his perfect combination of musicians. After all was said and done, Ari had found Joe Fox (Drums), Eric Tisinger (Guitar), and Phil T (Bass) to complete his musical war party. Nine years, 3 albums and 1 EP later, Destrophy prepares for their second release under Victory Records titled Cry Havoc. HRR took some time to sit down with Ari and talk about their upcoming album.

HRR: Tell me about the album and the direction you took. Can fans expect the same Destrophy sound on the new album? What are you most proud of on the new album? (New sound, different directions lyrically, etc.)
Ari: I knew that I wanted this album to be positive or inspiring. I wanted people to feel good while listening to it and felt an obligation to try and energize our fans as opposed to bring them down. Most of my previous lyrical material had a darkness and a pessimism about it that given the current state of affairs; the economy, just the overall vibe of the times, I didn't feel right adding to or wallowing in personal misery. (Even the song titled, "Misery" is actually about reaching out to a person going through a tough time.) I thought about traditional forms of entertainment and the idea of framing the entire work as a play or opera entitled, "Cry Havoc". The theme is meant to inspire people to hold to their dreams and passions and embrace death at the end of a fulfilled life. The phrase, "Cry Havoc" comes from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and at least for our album basically means "go kick some ass". The title track and much of the album was directly influenced by the Spartan stand at Thermopylae, which to me is the perfect example of holding true to one's way of life at any cost.

Pre-Order Cry Havoc

In general the album has a very rock sound, and very melodic sound, which we've done before but not this extreme. This time I was interested in having an album of more cohesive material- songs that fit together thematically and sonically; and basically rocked the whole time for some good driving and workout music. I placed highest priority on serving the song, and more emphasis on vocals and melody. Those are our strengths, and after sharing the stage with the likes of Bury Your Dead, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, and Otep, I felt that being brutal and screaming was best left to them! Our whole album can be performed acoustically and sounds great. Maybe we'll have to do that sometime. This also marks the first time I've worked with another producer on a track. I went to Atlanta to work with Corey Lowery (Eye Empire, Stereomud, Dark New Day) and we developed the song, "Still Bleeding" and had his brother Clint (Sevendust) play a couple solos. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot from him.

Interview with Eye Empire Drummer Will Hunt

 Our FEATURE ARTIST, EYE EMPIRE is on day four!

Click to read the interviews w/Will's Eye Empire bandmates,

B.C. KOCHMIT, DONALD CARPENTER & COREY LOWERY

It's almost impossible to look at Will Hunt's resume and NOT say "That's insane!" Stuck Mojo, Skrape, Tommy Lee, Methods of Mayhem, Slaughter, Dark New Day, Motley Crue, Vince Neil (solo), Evanescence, Static-X, Crossfade, Bloodsimple, Black Label Society.  See what I mean? His resume is taller than any of us. But when it comes to music, he's humble, honest & just loves to play. Will graciously shared some of his time with HRR & talked about tunes, tech, & toast!

Interview with Eye Empire Bassist, Corey Lowery

Hard-Rock-Reviews.com's First Ever FEATURE ARTIST, EYE EMPIRE

gave us four individual interviews this week...

Here you have round 3 with COREY LOWERY (bassist, backing vocals)

CLICK THE NAMES to see Hard-Rock-Reviews.com interviews with Corey's band mates

B.C. KOCHMIT, DONALD CARPENTER, & WILL HUNT.

Corey & Brad started jamming together a few years ago, and what began with two good friends writing and hanging out, is now the foundation of an empire: one full of fans, friends and lots of fun!

Photo Courtesy:  KELLY LLOYD

Interview with Eye Empire's Vocalist Donald "DC" Carpenter

EYE EMPIRE is the current FEATURE ARTIST at Hard-Rock-Reviews

We're bringing you something new and fresh every day this week from the "Empire!"

CLICK THE NAMES to see the exclusive Hard-Rock-Reviews.com interviews
with Donald's Eye Empire bandmates,

B.C. KOCHMIT, COREY LOWERY & WILL HUNT.

Donald talks about where he's come from, how far he's come in doing so, and where the Empire is going, now that he's part of the family!

Interview With Eye Empire's Guitarist B.C. Kochmit

This is the first of FOUR interviews with the bandmates of our Feature Artist, EYE EMPIRE.

CLICK THE NAMES to see the exclusive Hard-Rock-Reviews.com interviews 
with B.C.'s band mates!

DONALD CARPENTER, COREY LOWERY & WILL HUNT.

 

Photo Courtesy:  KELLY LLOYD

A remarkable melting pot of talented, seasoned, but not jaded, musicians that are genuinely hard-working, humble family men that just want to play good music for everyone that wants to hear it. It just doesn't get any more sincere than that. 
Brad shares his side of the Empire with us, talks about filling in for Clint, in Sevendust, and what we can expect in the near future!