Search Results for: roadrunner records

Of the many fans and musicians devastated by Layne Staley’s death, his former Alice in Chains bandmate Jerry Cantrell was perhaps most affected upon receiving the news. The pair formed the backbone of the seminal Seattle grunge band in 1987, and it was their dichotomy – the tension of Cantrell’s hardened riffs that plodded along as Staley’s sinister vocals crept behind at a skulking pace – that gave the band its appeal to metalheads and grunge punks alike. Cantrell and Staley remained the group’s creative force until their swan song, 1995’s Alice in Chains. In the wake of Staley’s death,… Read more »

With a sound that blends ’90s grunge with polished pop, it’s probably safe to assume that Nickelback spent their high school years listening to Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. So, aside from the fact that they’re now labelmates, it’s easy to understand why Nickelback asked Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell to open a bunch of dates for them this summer. The tour will kick off May 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the jaunt will pass through many major West Coast, Midwest and Southern cities. During the tour, Nickelback and Cantrell will perform at Country Jam USA… Read more »

The 16th annual South by Southwest music conference drew to a close Sunday, and the only thing that lasts longer than the seemingly perpetual hangover that results from four debauched days of a music industry on spring break is the buzz emanating from the bands and key moments that defined this year’s festival. Of the more than 1,000 bands showcasing their chops before press, radio programmers, managers, lawyers, label execs and promoters in 48 venues strewn throughout Austin, Texas, a handful traditionally rise above the chaff to become the targets of hype hucksters and topics of critical discussion for weeks… Read more »

Nickelback’s former management company, Amar Management, filed a breach of contract suit against the band in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Canada. The suit, filed on January 25, contends that Nickelback wrongfully terminated the contract and has failed to pay the management company commissions, disbursements, and various other fees as a result of services rendered. The band allegedly signed a contract with Amar Management in 1996 and worked with the company through two independent albums and its first Roadrunner Records release, The State. The label contends it was responsible for the development of Nickelback’s career and played a… Read more »

Jim Caparro, the man who helped build the Island Def Jam Music Group into the third-biggest record label in the U.S. through aggressive consolidation and savvy A&R, has decided to resign as chairman of the Universal Music division after three years on the job. Caparro, whose duties will be taken up by his longtime colleague, IDJ president Lyor Cohen, said the timing was perfect for his departure, with the label group at its peak performance and a strong cadre of execs to take up the reins. “People in this position normally leave because they get fired,” Caparro told Daily Variety.… Read more »

Waitresses will have to excuse Nickelback if they order their eggs Silver Side Up – the Canadian rockers are focused on promoting their new record, and to that end they’ve just announced dates for a headlining fall U.S. tour. Silver Side Up, the band’s second album, features the hit single “How You Remind Me” and currently sits at #5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart after peaking at #3. Nickelback will jet to Europe on Thursday for three weeks before returning to the States for their headlining stint, which begins October 30 at the Showbox in Seattle. Fellow Canadians Default… Read more »

Just two weeks before its slated August 28th release date, Powerman 5000 have pulled the plug on their much-hyped third album, Anyone for Doomsday?. The group also cancelled their forthcoming tour with Machine Head, Saliva and Stereomud, a five-week trek that was to begin September 6th in Kansas City, Missouri. Also aborted are PM5K’s August 27th record release party at the Paradise in Boston and a series of nationwide in-store appearances planned for later this month. The band plans to re-enter a Los Angeles area studio right away to begin work on a handful of new songs that frontman Spider… Read more »

July 24 will be ground zero for Slipknot’s as-yet-untitled second album, according to a Roadrunner Records spokesperson. The follow-up to their eponymous 1999 debut was recorded in Los Angeles with producer Ross Robinson. Next week production will move cross-country to New York, where Andy Wallace will start mixing new songs “People Equal Shit,” “The Heretic Anthem,” “Disaster Piece” and just-announced “New Abortion” among other album tracks, with the help of two unnamed band members. The nine masked Iowans, who’ll take to the main stage of this year’s Ozzfest, might also be simultaneously making the club rounds this summer. A tour… Read more »