Roadrunner Records Latest News

Meat Loaf Signs to Roadrunner/ Loud & Proud!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:13:00 GMT

Roadrunner Records/Loud & Proud Records is pleased to announce the signing of Meat Loaf to the label! Meat Loaf has been a towering monument on the musical landscape for the past 35 years and his new deal with Roadrunner/Loud & Proud will allow him to retain his post as the pre-eminent voice in rock music and beyond.

His new album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear, whose title was taken from a line in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, is 13 tracks of classic Meat Loaf, primed and ready for the 21^st century. More than four decades into his career, the man and his voice are as big, bold and relevant as ever. The album features a hot producer, a slew of impressive guest appearances, ranging from guitar god Steve Vai to actor Hugh Laurie, and of course, Meat Loaf’s signature pipes!

"I wanted it big, I wanted it dramatic, I wanted a rock record,” Meat Loaf said about the new album. “Yes, it sounds like a Meat Loaf record. But it sounds different too: it sounds new, it sounds fresh. It speaks to you in a different way.” For Hang Cool Teddy Bear, Meat Loaf’s creativity was sparked by working with a new collaborator, producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fleetwood Mac), a lifelong Meat Loaf fan who has worked with some of the most explosive names in rock music and who helped to foster a modern and contemporary vibe for the album. Of their relationship, Meat Loaf said, “Rob is the number one rock producer in the world because he leaves his ego out of the equation and gives an artist his voice, making it sound better than the artist could even imagine.”

Regarding Roadrunner/Loud & Proud, Meat Loaf is excited about his new label digs, saying, “In my bones, I've always been a rocker and I finally found a home that rocks.” Loud & Proud President Tom Lipsky also commented on the signing, saying “Meat Loaf has once again created a masterpiece and we are excited and proud to be his new label partner.”

Thematically, like most Meat Loaf albums, Hang Cool Teddy Bear has a larger concept and was inspired by a short story written by Los Angeles screenwriter, director and longtime Meat Loaf friend Kilian Kerwin.

“It's the story of a soldier,” revealed Meat Loaf. “He's been in battle and he's lying face down on the ground. He can't move, but he turns his head and starts to see blood run across the ground, and so he thinks he's going to die. They always say you see your life flash backward when you're about to die. But his life flashes forward - into what possibly could happen. He sees what his life could be: the good and the bad. The songs are the different scenarios he finds himself in. It's not always the same time or the same place, but it's always the same woman. But I don't want to give too much away. I want people to work it out for themselves.”

Hang Cool Teddy Bear also features a stellar array of big-name guests, including Steve Vai (who appears on ‘Love is Not Real’), former Queen guitarist Brian May (who appears on ‘Song of Madness’ and ‘Love is Not Real’), American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi (who co-wrote and sings on ‘If I Can't Have You’) and Hollywood star Jack Black, who duets with Meat Loaf on ‘Like a Rose.’ Additionally, English actor Hugh Laurie of TV’s House fame has a cameo on the album, playing piano on ‘If I Can’t Have You.’ The pair met after Meat Loaf guested on Laurie’s hit series and discovered the star was a classically trained pianist.

For Hang Cool Teddy Bear, the singer enlisted elite musicians, including Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins, who co-wrote two songs for the album, guitarists Tim Pierce, Paul Crook and Randy Flowers, legendary bass players Chris Chaney and Kasim Sulton, genius keyboardist Jamie Mulhoberac and the world’s greatest rock drummer, John Micelli.

Hang Cool Teddy Bear is due out May 11 in the US.

While Meat Loaf certainly requires no introduction, he burst onto the world music stage in 1977, with his landmark release, Bat Out Of Hell, which transformed him from a stage actor into an American rock ‘n’ roll icon, as the album sold more than 43 million copies worldwide and is the 3^rd biggest selling record of all time. Following Bat Out Of Hell with further masterpieces like 1981’s Dead Ringer, 1984’s Bad Attitude and the Bat Out Of Hell sequels, 1993’s Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell and 2006’s Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster is Loose proves what Rob Cavallo believes about Meat Loaf: that he has more rock ‘n’ roll in his bones than anyone he’s ever met.

Watch Theory of a Deadman Frontman's Day in Our Office

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:44:00 GMT

While the Theory of a Deadman frontman/ funnyman Tyler Connolly was on vacation in New York City this winter, he stopped by Roadrunner HQ to give a humorous and almost educational tour of our office here in the city... You know, cuz he basically runs the joint!

Check out his Cribs-style assessment of the ammenities, and enjoy the very colorful screen saver on his computer, amongst so many other things!

Watch it right here:

Pre-Order Ratt's 'Infestation' Now & Get Some Perks!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:18:00 GMT

Order the new album now and get the track “Eat Me Up Alive” as an instant download as well as an autographed booklet (while supplies last!) from one of metal’s most infamous bands.

As the story goes, Ratt helped pioneer Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Strip sound and scene. The band has returned sounding fired up and better than ever. Ratt’s first studio album in 11 years, Infestation, is a return to their heavy, riff-driven roots.

The band has reinvented their sound by rediscovering their strengths, shuttling listeners to a time when metal ruled the earth.

Pre-order the April 20th release NOW!

Video Interview: Nickelback's Mike Kroeger Part 2

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:38:00 GMT

While on tour in Europe, Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger sat down backstage at the Wembley Arena to talk about the band, the lifestyle and the latest album.

In Part 1 we learned about the band's time on the Dark Horse tour so far and their love of just going out and playing music, but now in Part 2, Mike reminisces on the simplicity of the early days and talks about what's next in store.

Watch it right here, catch part 1 further below and don't miss the band on their extended Dark Horse World Tour this Spring!

Part 1:

Lynyrd Skynyrd Video Interview & Performance From Berlin

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:45:00 GMT

Watch as Lynyrd Skynyrd's Rickey Medlocke and Gary Rossington talk about their latest album God & Guns and play a few tunes off the album acoustic for Berlin's more-metal.com.

Soulfly Video Shoot Set For Poughkeepsie Stop on Tour

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:25:00 GMT

As Soulfly continue on their North American tour preceding the release of their upcoming 7th full length Omen, the band has announced that they are filming a video for the new track "Rise of the Fallen" at their stop in Poughkeepsie, NY next week.

The band and crew under the direction of Dale Resteghini will immortalize rabid Soulfly fans already attending the show as they perform the song live at The Chance on Wednesday, March 17th. Get your tickets to this show to be part of the magic right here!

Can't make this one? Then catch Soulfly on their remaining tour dates now and watch bassist Bobby Burns' behind-the-scenes videos from this currerent stint as they unfold right here.

Dommin Discuss Love is Gone With The Gauntlet

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:24:00 GMT

Los Angeles quartet Dommin have just released their darkly romantic debut album Love is Gone, and it's been a long time coming. In this interview with The Gauntlet, frontman Kristofer Dommin addresses all of that and more.

Says Dommin, "I find romantic to be a weird word to use considering it isn't a positive spin on love, on this record anyway. In the sense of romantic, as far as super passionate and extremely emotional, I would absolutely agree."

As for the making of the full-length, Kris goes on that, "It's been a long time in the making. The music and the album have been done for over a year now. It's just been a lot of set up time. It was originally supposed to come out in May of 2009 and some things changed with it. It got pushed back for various different reasons. It's actually been a really good thing."

On the album, the band worked with producer Lucas Banker, of which Dommin says, "Lucas is basically the guy who discovered us. He came across a demo that I had. I had been in other bands and I would always pass my demo around in the bands that I was in. Somehow through a weird twist of fate, someone who knew him passed my demo along to him. Ever since we started working together, we started writing songs together."

Continued Kris, "He is probably our biggest fan. In a lot of ways he has seen this whole thing grow and in some ways he has a better idea of what Dommin is more than anybody. When I first met him, I gave him between 70 to 80 demo songs. He already knows the direction we are going and what we are capable of. He has the big picture. A lot of people don't totally understand what Dommin is until they have heard more than just a few songs. The entire first album is not the complete picture. Hopefully, when we put out other records, you are going to see other sides to the band."

Read what else Kris had to say about the making of Love is Gone, and get your copy of the stunning debut RIGHT HERE!

Dommin will be on tour with HIM in the US later this month. Check the tour dates and get your tickets now!

Mutiny Within's Story So Far: Episode 5

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Mutiny Within signed their contract with Roadrunner in late 2008, thus beginning their long road to release in 2010. But now that their self-titled debut is out, the band is letting fans in on their journey with these weekly webisodes that were filmed along the way, dubbed The Story So Far.

We met fun-loving keyboardist Drew Stavola last week, but this week, we're watching his alter-ego "Drewl" in action!

Watch the fun below, and don't miss your chance to get the melodic metallers' crushing debut for only $5 RIGHT HERE!

Slipknot's Clown Gets 'Exposure' on Noisecreep

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:30:00 GMT

In his recurring series on Noisecreep, Clown Exposure, Slipknot's Shawn "Clown" Crahan showcases his love of the visual arts through photography.

Writes Noisecreep contributor Jon Weiderhorn, "One man's junk is another man's jewelry. That's the premise for this week's 'Clown Exposure' photo by Slipknot percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan. The image is a drainpipe bolted to the cement and rusted over time. The shot is distorted around the edges by Clown's Polaroid manipulation technique, but the picture is pretty much intact. Only where most see a boring drainpipe, the photographer envisions something entirely different."

Clown tells Noisecreep, "I wanted to make it look like this big metal thing is walking... But you got this big brown spots coming from the seams. That's where water is getting through the gutter. Do you know how many years that would take? That's years and years and years of conditioning. Then, I do a little treatment to it. I pull the Polaroid. I got the sun up there in top left. Boom, I have something special to me."

Read the artist's whole account right here.

Video Interview: Nickelback's Mike Kroeger Checks In

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:11:00 GMT

While on tour in Europe, Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger sat down with our UK counterparts to discuss the band, the lifestyle and Dark Horse.

Watch Part 1 below, and stay tuned for Part 2!

Opeth Frontman Discusses His Contribution to God of War: Blood & Metal

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:30:00 GMT

Opeth frontman and Decibel guest blogger Mikael Akerfeldt discusses his involvement with the God of War: Blood & Metal EP.

Writes Akerfeldt of his contribution to the Playstation game's soundtrack, "I got the question a while back whether Opeth would be interested in contributing a song to this game, God of War III. As far as I remember, I said ‘kinda yes’ right away, since delivery was still months away. I didn't know the game. Even though I'm a gamer myself, I'd never really heard of it, but I figured we could contribute since a few of us are into it, and just overall, we felt ‘Why not?’ I wanted to try my new home studio for this which had just been set up.

On "The Throat of Winter": The opening chord sequence is something I wrote on the last tour we did, and I had another project in mind for it. I just thought it had a nice ring to it. I knew the other bands would go for something heavy and we've always like to do the opposite to other bands, so we decided to go with something softer. It has attitude though it's devoid of any Whitney Houston influences. Recording it was quite simple, the song is simple (but odd) and the sound is simple... everything about it just came together in a heartbeat more or less. I like it. It's odd but it sounds like Opeth."

Read the whole thing right here, and get your digital-only copy of the EP on iTunes now!

Opeth will embark on a limited-city 20th anniversary tour at the end of the month. Get all the details HERE.

God of War 3 is out on March 16th. Check their official site for more information.

Mutiny Within's "Awake" on Revolver's Bootleg Series

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:34:00 GMT

In their new Bootleg Series, Revolver promises to post "cool, new, and often-exclusive tracks for you to hear before anyone else." And in keeping that promise, this week, the esteemed publication is offering Mutiny Within's crushing first single "Awake."

Bassist Andrew Jacobs tells Revolver about the song, saying, "“Awake” is one of the songs that I connect with the most, but Chris [Clancy, vocals] won’t tell me what it’s actually about. [Laughs] Chris doesn’t explain his lyrics much, he prefers to let the listener come up with their own interpretation. This song actually helped me through a rough time recently. I played it over and over again. The reason I enjoy this song so much is because it’s one of the few songs Chris has written in which there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel...“Sorrow breaks me down, it’s crushing me tonight, but I feel alive, somewhere inside.”"

Go here to hear the track and read more about what AJ had to say about "Awake."

Mutiny Within is out now. Get your copy for only $5 RIGHT HERE!

Dommin Check In From Europe: Tours End, Tours Begin

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:06:00 GMT

Having embarked on their first-ever European tour at the beginning of February right around the release of their debut album Love is Gone, goth-rock newcomers Dommin have conquered some pretty big firsts so far this year.

Keeping us up to speed as they experienced Europe, frontman Kristofer Dommin wrote in from the road giving a run down of every stop along the way. But as the tour with Lacuna Coil comes to an end in Italy, Dommin offers his summation of the experience and contemplates what's next in store as the band prepares to join HIM on some more European dates.

Writes Kris, "We are traveling somewhere among the snow covered Alps at the most northern area of Italy. Its our day off between tours. The show last night in Treviso went very well, and I can officially say, Italy and Dommin are having a beautiful love affair. It was another night of wild fans showing their appreciation and support for this new American band and us giving everything we had in us to the audience. All the shows in Italy were amazing and officially the best of the tour. It was a bittersweet show. We are happy to have accomplished our first European tour but sad to be saying goodbye to our friends in Lacuna.

I am curious to know what some of these cities are going to be like on round 2. The tour with HIM starts tomorrow. Its going to be the first hectic day as usual, I'm sure. It will largely be crew trying to work out all the kinks with sound and lights. We'll be meeting our new tourmates as well. And we'll be spending a lot of time together as this 2 band bill will turn into a 4 band bill in the U.S. I've already heard great things about the HIM guys so I'm sure it will be pretty cool. But we are hitting some of the same areas we did with Lacuna. Now that our album has been out for a few weeks in the UK, it will be interesting to see the reaction.

I've also been thinking about the last show of this tour. We are leaving Europe doing one headlining show in London and I'm trying to figure out how we can make it special. It will keep my mind occupied on this long drive."

Read the whole thing right here and get your copy of Love Is Gone now!

Airbourne Go Track By Track Through No Guts. No Glory.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:04:00 GMT

As Australian rockers Airbourne get ready to release their sophomore album No Guts. No Glory., we check in with brothers Joel & Ryan O'Keeffe to find out what went into the writing and making of each track.

Check out part 1 as they discuss the first 6 tracks on the album: "Born to Kill," "No Way But the Hard Way," "Blonde, Bad and Beautiful," "Raise the Flag," "Bottom of the Well" and "White Line Fever."

Watch it below, check back to hear about the second half of the album later this week and don't forget to pre-order your copy of the April 20th release No Guts. No Glory. RIGHT HERE!

Roadrunner Newcomers Hail the Villain Stream First Single

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:30:00 GMT

Canadian heavy-hitters and Roadrunner Records newcomers Hail the Villain prepare for the release of their forthcoming debut album by offering a listen to their first singe, "Take Back the Fear."

Formed after singer Bryan Crouch quit school, Hail the Villain's sound and style was crafted on Crouch's headspace in doing so. Says the singer, “When I was writing, I was under a lot of stress and was paranoid. I thought my health was not right, I thought I was in trouble. I made so many crazy mistakes instead of choosing the right path like my brother did. We all dropped out of school… I was just freaking out. This record was the be all and end all. If this didn’t work, I’d have to find a job and smarten up.”

On the track (below), Crouch adds, "‘Take Back The Fear’ was when I was coming out of my paranoia saying that I’m not going to be scared anymore. I’m going to find out what’s wrong.”

Listen to the track right here, and check back for more on this burgeoning band soon.

"Take Back the Fear" will be available for purchase on March 30th. The full album, Population: Declining hits shelves on June 8th. Information on the accompanying comic book to the album TBA.

Mutiny Within Tell MetalUnderground Their Tale From the Pit

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:02:00 GMT

Metalunderground.com has a recurring series where they get bands to discuss their favorite mosh pit stories, and earlier this month they enlisted Mutiny Within bassist Andrew "AJ" Jacobs to spill his.

Says Jacobs, "I was about 15 years old, went to see Children Of Bodom live, my favorite band at the time. So I was crowd surfing, screaming along with the lyrics, etc. Then I got into the pit, and oh man, I got my ass kicked. Not just that, but my sneaker came loose and I lost it. I had those big VANS sneakers, so it's no wonder it fell off."

Continues Jacobs, "By the end of the show, I made it up to the barricade. When the last song ended and people started clearing out, I saw a bunch of random sneakers near the security guard. I said "Give me a left shoe!", so they did. It wasn't mine, but I wore it for the next week until I bought some new shoes. Needless to say, I steered away from VANS ever since."

Read the full account of Jacobs' pit story right here, and don't miss your chance to get Mutiny Within's self-titled debut for only 5 bucks RIGHT HERE!

Dragonforce Part Ways With Singer

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:58:00 GMT

DragonForce have split with lead singer ZP Theart. The band issued the following statement, regarding the matter:

“It is with great regret that DragonForce announce a parting of the ways with singer ZP Theart. This is due to insurmountable differences of musical opinion but the rest of the band sincerely wishes ZP great success with his future projects.”

While the creative core members have begun writing the fifth album, they have also started a worldwide search for a new vocalist. “We are looking for a powerful, melodic singer to write a new chapter of DragonForce with us." said guitarist Herman Li.

Anyone wishing to audition for the vacant position should apply following the instructions right here.

Audition (1) delete Herman Li (9) delete zp theart (2) delete

Video: DevilDriver Interviewed By Hard Times Canada

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:15:00 GMT

While on a North American tour supporting Pray For Villains, DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara sat down with Hardtimes.ca to talk music, politics and much more.

Watch it right here:

Dommin Check In From Europe: Bologna & Rome

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

As Dommin's first-ever European tour begins to wind down, the band reports in from Italy, where they just played in tourmates Lacuna Coil's home town of Milan before visiting a few more cities in the boot peninsula.

From their time in Bologna & Rome, frontman Kristofer Dommin writes, "I go onstage feeling tired, maybe even a bit sluggish. I don't have the same jumpy nerves I usually do on stage. Perhaps I'm just becoming more comfortable. All I know is that it worked...whatever it is. I ended up having my best show of the entire tour. I played and sang better tonight than any other night. Perhaps it was because the excitement didn't overwhelm my focus. The Bologna fans were amazing. They gave me all the energy I would ever need to get through a set. Its only the second show in Italy but I'm wondering if this will be the trend at Italian shows. We don't stay in Bologna that night. We leave the show early to reach the next destination that night."

"...We arrive in Rome at 3:30 AM. We have plans to get in a bit of tourist activity the next morning before heading to the venue. There is so much I want to do. Rome has always been the place I desired most to visit. But I was determined NOT to do the 2 hour drive-by tour. We picked 3 things to do in 4 hours time. Which is still too short. But how do you come all the way to Rome and not spend SOME time looking around. We get dropped off at the Coliseum. From there we visit, or more like pass by, the Forum and head to the Fountain. The amount of history here is amazing. Everywhere you look and everywhere you walk, there is such a rich history. The only disappointing thing for this tourist is how many precious things were destroyed by the citizens. Perhaps it was by necessity, I'm not sure. But many of the reasons that there are mere ruins left is because the materials were used to build houses and various other things. I suppose the thought of preserving the history while living in it didn't really cross the mind. But its beautiful all the same.

After a small meal and some gelato, it was time to get to the venue. And for the 3rd time in a row, the Italian fans were lovely. Much like Bologna, these fans didn't need any direction or prompting when to clap or sing along. They were all over it. I think at the end of the show, we signed more things and took more pictures than we had on the entire tour. I can't imagine how it would have been had more people understood my English announcing our presence at the merch booth."

Read Dommin's whole Italian experience right here, and check back for the conclusion to this series as the goth-rockers play their last show in Treviso.

Love is Gone is available in stores now. Get your copy RIGHT HERE!

Airbourne to Tour With Bullet For My Valentine

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:13:00 GMT

The Aussie force to be reckoned with known as Airbourne will be spreading their rock ‘n roll seeds all across the US this Spring, when they embark on a full US tour supporting Bullet For My Valentine.

Airbourne are revved up and raring for another go-round with American audiences, with vocalist/guitarist Joel O’Keeffe saying, “We’re really lookin’ forward to tearin’ it up on US Soil again! This time with No Guts. No Glory., it’s gonna be even more rock 'n' roll. It's been a bloody long time between drinks with you guys and we've missed rockin out with you all. See ya out on the road, America!”

Airbourne’s second effort for Roadrunner, No Guts. No Glory., will hit retail shelves on April 20. The current single, ‘No Way But the Hard Way,’ is getting started at radio and is picking up new stations and airplay every week! Key adds include KISW/Seattle, KOMP/Las Vegas, WBUZ/Nashville, KFRQ/McAllen, TX, WQXA/Harrisburg, WRTT/Huntsville, WDHA/Morristown, NJ, WKLC/Charleston, WMMR/Philadelphia, Sirius/Octane and Music Choice.

The band recently laid a hurtin’ on Canada and claimed the country’s love during a tour with Mötley Crüe earlier this year. The band is presently in the Top 10 of Canada’s Active Rock Mediabase Charts.

Also, the band is headlining shows in Europe, many of which are sold out, before they head back to the US.

North American tour dates are as follows:

April 30, 2010 – The Palladium – Worchester, MA

May 2, 2010 – Ram’s Head Live – Baltimore, MD

May 4, 2010 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA

May 5, 2010 – Rocketown – Nashville, TN

May 7, 2010 – House of Blues (Dallas) – Dallas, TX

May 9, 2010 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK

May 11, 2010 – Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ

May 12, 2010 – House of Blues (Las Vegas) – Las Vegas, NV

May 14, 2010 – The Grove of Anaheim – Anaheim, CA

May 16, 2010 – Regency Center Grand Ballroom – San Francisco, CA

May 18, 2010 – The Great Salt Air – Magna, UT

May 19, 2010 – Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO

May 21, 2010 – The Pageant – St Louis, MO

May 22, 2010 – Riviera Theater – Chicago, IL

May 25, 2010 – Rave Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI

May 26, 2010 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN

May 28, 2010 – The Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI

May 30, 2010 – The Fillmore Detroit – Detroit, MI

Watch the video for lead single "No Way But the Hard Way" right here: