2020 has been an atypical year for the music industry. The usual album and tour cycles have been turned on their heads. Some bands chose to hold their albums for when touring starts up again. Some bands found creative ways to release their albums, many with livestreams to go with it. Other bands took the opportunity to record and release unexpected music, and much more of that will be coming in 2021. This year, we really embraced things that were new. That could mean bands that were new to us, famous friends going solo, or EP’s written in direct response to the current world events. Here are our Five Fave: 2020 Rock Albums.

#5 – Bring Me The Horizon – POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR / FEVER 333 – WRONG GENERATION

Bring Me The Horizon and FEVER 333 both produced EP’s this year, reacting in real time to current events. POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR clocks in at 32 minutes. WRONG GENERATION is a tight 18 minutes. Combined, they make a respectable album’s worth of material, so we are recognizing them together. BMTH created the song of the year – pandemic category – with “Parasite Eve”. F333 delivered the song of the year – social justice category – with SUPREMACY. The rest of each EP is full of on-topic desperation and immediacy, with cathartic releases of aggression and anger. Together, they will stand as the soundtrack to 2020.

#4 – Clint Lowery – God Bless The Renegades

Clint Lowery, guitarist / back-up vocalist / songwriter from Sevendust, has worked on several solo projects before, but this is his first proper album. He followed it up with a full band tour, opening for Alter Bridge, one of the best shows of the abbreviated touring year. This album shows all of his passion, thoughtfulness and musical beauty. He even managed to squeeze out another EP, “Grief & Distance”, during the pandemic.

#3 – Adelitas Way- Shine On

Rick DeJesus and Adelitas Way keep pushing ahead and pushing boundaries. With guitarist Tavis Stanley leading the way, and Tre Stafford and Andrew Cushing manning the rhythm section, this band continues to explore what rock and roll is, and they have cranked out a ton of great material over the past few years. “Shine On” is full of empowerment and encouragement, things we all need right now.

#2 – Corey Taylor – CMFT

As if leading two of the most prolific and successful bands, Slipknot and Stone Sour, wasn’t enough, Corey M-F Taylor reached Mark Tremonti status by creating a third incredible band. Corey grabbed his guitar, a piano and several of his closest friends and took a journey through the history of rock and roll, complete with a hip-hop collabo with Tech N9ne. “CMFT” is a brilliant album from a bunch of guys clearly having fun.

#1 – H.E.A.T – H.e.a.t II

H.E.A.T is a bit confusing, but let’s see if we can figure them out. I discovered them on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise, where hair metal bands from the 1980’s performed, but they are a modern act. Their singer has been Erik Grönwall for the past decade, including on this album, yet he has left the group and original vocalist Kenny Leckremo has returned. “H.e.a.t II” is their 6th album, and they labeled it as number 2. I give up. I do call it my favorite rock album of the year. Full of energy, anthemic choruses, killer vocals and shredding guitars.

Five Fave: 2020 Rock Albums first appeared on Game On Media.

Corey Taylor stepped out of the shadows of Slipknot and Stone Sour to reveal his first solo album, “CMFT”, but putting on a full show at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The almost 2 hour concert debuted on Pay Per View on Friday, October 2, 2020, the same day that the album was officially released.

“CMFT” covers a broad variety of rock and roll styles, much broader than was possible while fronting Slipknot and Stone Sour. The result is pure rock joy. Corey and his band are long-time friends, who clearly enjoy making music together. They have great chemistry and sound fantastic.

The band consists of Christian Martucci and Zach Throne on guitar, Jason Christopher on bass (and excellent backing vocals), and Dustin Robert on drums. The encore featured a special appearance from dance squad The Cherry Bombs, led by Corey’s new wife Alicia Dove Taylor.

The setlist was outstanding, complemented by lights, fire and pyro to highlight the full range of emotions present in the songs. They played all 13 tracks from the “CMFT” album. They played 1 Slipknot song, 5 Stone Sour songs including a full band version of “Bother”, and 5 eclectic cover songs, most impressively “On The Dark Side” by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Corey played electric guitar throughout most of the show. He also played acoustic guitar, and made his stage debut on piano to deliver “Home”, a song he wrote for his wife.

Corey Taylor’s Forum Or Against ‘Em Set List:

Hwy 666 (CMFT)

Meine Lux (CMFT)

Halfway Down (CMFT)

Silverfish (CMFT)

Shakin’ (Eddie Money cover)

Song #3 (Stone Sour)

Everybody Dies On My Birthday (CMFT)

Snuff (Slipknot)

Taciturn (Stone Sour)

Culture Head (CMFT)

The Maria Fire (CMFT)

Home (CMFT)

Zzyxz Road (Stone Sour)

All This And More (Dead Boys cover)

Already Gone (Eagles cover)

Kansas (CMFT)

Black Eyes Blue (CMFT)

Samantha’s Gone (CMFT)

Through Glass (Stone Sour)

————————

On The Dark Side (John Cafferty cover)

Bother (full band version) (Stone Sour)

ETBBS – European Tour Bus Bathroom Song (CMFT)

CMFT Must Be Stopped (CMFT)

Watchin’ You (KISS cover)

Corey Taylor CMFT Forum by Steve Thrasher

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Corey Taylor Debuts CMFT Album and Band on ‘Forum Or Against ‘Em’ Pay Per View first appeared on Game On Media.

Corey Taylor Announces

FORUM OR AGAINST ‘EM

A Once In A Lifetime Global Stream PPV Featuring Full Production, Pyro, The Cherry Bombs Dancers,

And Corey Taylor As You’ve Never Seen Him Before

New Album CMFT Out October 2nd

Pre-Orders Available Here

To celebrate the release day of his first-ever solo album, GRAMMY® Award-winning singer / songwriter, Corey Taylor has announced that he and his band will be make history on October 2nd with Forum Or Against ‘Em, a global streaming event of epic proportions shot at iconic Los Angeles venue, The Forum. Tickets for this historic pay-per-view streaming event are on sale now from watch.thecoreytaylor.com. Fans can also purchase ticket bundles that include a t-shirt, hoodie, poster, and access to watch an exclusive Corey Taylor acoustic set. A limited number of one-on-one video chats with Corey Taylor are also available with some bundles.

Forum Or Against ‘Em will be a full arena production complete with a visual feast of pyrotechnics, a stacked set list featuring all tracks from CMFT, select fan-favorite cuts from Taylor’s Slipknot and Stone Sour catalogues, a handful of covers and an incendiary guest performance from rock n’ roll girl-gang dance squad, The Cherry Bombs. Special event merch and bundles will be available during the stream. Kicking off the event’s festivities will be a special pre-show event hosted by presenter/journalist, Beez that will feature exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Speaking about his upcoming streaming extravaganza, Corey Taylor tells us “I’ve been saying since the beginning I’d find a way to bring this music and this band to the people. And I’m honored that The Forum let us do just that. It’s CMFT in its entirety. It’s songs I’ve shared over the years. It’s a celebration, and I’m so stoked to party with all of you.”

Watch the trailer for Forum Or Against ‘Em:

In the rapidly evolving sphere of streamed events, Forum Or Against ‘Em is set to be an industry first, as Corey Taylor and his management team at 5B Artists + Media partner with Danny Wimmer Presents, the largest independent festival producer in the United States, to put on this one-of-a-kind, pay-per-view concert experience. In utilizing The Forum for this special steaming event, the team are not only able to put together a world class rock extravaganza with a massive arena production, in total, they are also providing work to approximately 80 event staff.

Speaking on this ground breaking partnership, 5B Artist & Media Founder and CEO, Cory Brennan says “When Corey sent me a text saying FORUM OR AGAINST ‘EM I knew we had something truly special and unique. The Forum is one of the most iconic venues in the world and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate his debut solo album!”

“To do a rock show on this scale, with an icon like Corey Taylor – while putting some of the behind-the-scenes heroes of the concert industry back to work – is an exciting step into the future,” says Danny Wimmer, Founder of Danny Wimmer Presents. “We believe that Pay-Per-View is here to stay and we couldn’t think of anyone better to help us launch our new digital platform than Corey Taylor. He’s a global star, and his music with Slipknot and Stone Sour, as well as our amazing relationship with 5B, has helped to fuel DWP’s growth over the past decade.  We can’t wait to get this show started.”

Taylor’s debut solo album, CMFT, is set for release on October 2^nd via Roadrunner Records. Garnering widespread critical applause already, FORBES declares, “Corey Taylor’s singing is undeniably the best it’s ever been. From Slipknot’s last album to his new solo material, Taylor is easily among the best sounding rock singers alive,” and KERRANG! describing the new material as “A celebration of life, and one that shows him in a whole new light.” 

Taylor recently released a music video for “Black Eyes Blue,” which has entered the Top 10 at Active Rock Radio, surpassing previous first week chart numbers from both Slipknot and Stone Sour. Additionally, Taylor hit #1 on Billboard’s “Hard Rock Songwriters” chart following the unprecedented debut of lead singles, “Black Eyes Blue” and “CMFT Must Be Stopped” [feat. Tech N9ne & Kid Bookie], the latter of which has racked up just shy of 3 million YouTube views for its star-studded music video. He most recently unveiled his “HWY 666”  with an official lyric video. All songs are available on all streaming platforms.

Pre-orders for CMFT are available now with limited edition vinyl and merch bundles available at www.thecoreytaylor.com.

On the fiery and fearless rock ‘n’ roll opus, Taylor touches on lifelong influences ranging from hard rock to classic rock, punk rock to hip-hop. CMFT has been a long time coming, with newly penned songs appearing alongside a few dating back to his teens. Recorded at Hideout Studio in Las Vegas, with producer Jay Ruston and his band – Christian Martucci [guitar], Zach Throne [guitar], Jason Christopher [bass], and Dustin Robert [drums] – the album traces a wild and exhilarating roadmap through Taylor’s musical psyche. Now, with today’s announcement of Forum Or Against ‘Em, Corey Taylor is bringing his wildly diverse musical collection to life.  Do not miss out on catching Taylor’s vision for this incredible streaming event, purchase tickets now from watch.thecoreytaylor.com

About Corey Taylor: Uncompromising, unfiltered, and undeniable in any arena, Corey Taylor continues to impact culture as the frontman for both GRAMMY® Award-winning multi-platinum juggernaut Slipknot and platinum rock force Stone Sour. Taylor is a New York Times Best-Selling author as well as an actor with a myriad film and television credits. Impacting generations of fans and peers alike, his voice roars across six Slipknot albums which have rallied millions of fans across the globe. With two gold-certified albums and a platinum single, Stone Sour have notched five Top 10 debuts on the “Billboard 200” and garnered Loudwire’s “Rock Album of the Decade” for House of Gold & Bones — Part 1, which also spawned its own Dark Horse Comics graphic novel of the same name by Taylor. Taylor first crashed the New York Times Best Seller List with Seven Deadly Sins in 2011, occupying the chart for four weeks. He followed it up with three popular tomes: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Heaven [2013], You’re Making Me Hate You [2015], and America 51 [2017]. Meanwhile, his filmography encompasses Fear Clinic, Doctor Who, Officer Downe, and Sharknado 4. The rare renaissance man who can give a symposium at Oxford University and headline heavy music festivals around the globe, Taylor forever challenges culture to think, dream, and scream along with him. For more information visit www.thecoreytaylor.com.

About 5B Artists + Media: 5B ARTISTS & MEDIA is a global, full service artist management company and entertainment organization founded by Cory Brennan, with offices in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Birmingham (UK). The operation also comprises a record label, a film and music festival production arm, a talent agency and a digital marketing agency.  As well as being the management home of internationally renowned recording artists including Slipknot, Megadeth, Lamb Of God, Stone Sour, Behemoth, Amon Amarth, Trivium and Flogging Molly, 5B Artist Management are also responsible for the largest global rock festival brand, Knotfest, boasting an impressive portfolio of events in USA, Japan, UK, Mexico, France, Colombia and Knotfest At Sea cruise. In May 2020, Knotfest evolved further into the premier heavy culture media hub with the reimagined knotfest.com. A global content destination celebrating all things loud music, art + culture.

About Danny Wimmer Presents: Since 1993, music industry veteran Danny Wimmer has been producing concerts and festivals, both large and small. In 2011, he formed Danny Wimmer Presents, which now produces several of the largest rock and alternative festivals in the U.S. By combining A-list talent with local cuisine and culture, DWP has become recognized within the industry for delivering the highest-quality entertainment experiences to fans, artists, sponsors, partners and host cities. DWP creates memorable and all-encompassing festival experiences, leaving both consumers and partners with lasting and meaningful impressions. DWP will continue to add new music festivals to its already stellar portfolio, which currently includes Aftershock, Bourbon & Beyond, Epicenter, Hometown Rising, Louder Than Life, Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival, and Welcome To Rockville. Previous DWP festivals include Rock On The Range, Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion and more.  In 2020, DWP launched the popular digital series Offstage with DWP and ventured into the digital content curation space, promoting pay-per-view live streams. www.DannyWimmerPresents.com

Corey Taylor Announces “Forum Or Against ‘Em” Once In A Lifetime Global PPV On 10/2, Produced By DWP first appeared on Game On Media.

“We’re currently living in very divisive and polarizing times, but what both sides of the aisle need to realize is that the left wing and the right wing are part of the same damn bird. Thankfully we still have the unifying power of rock n roll with the hope we can all learn to fly together.”

SR18 Otherwise

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Las Vegas Band Otherwise Captures Sobering Images of Empty Strip in New Video “Crossfire” first appeared on Game On Media.

The annual DIMEBASH is an all-star jam honoring the life and legacy of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, the late co-founder and guitarist of Pantera and Damageplan, and the unofficial kickoff party for the NAMM convention. Jose Mangin and Riki Rachtman co-hosted the event on January 16, 2020 at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, California.

Over 5 incredible hours, artists from dozens of bands rotated on and off the stage, performing 40 songs, including Pantera classics and other legendary tunes. Sadly, this event now also honors the late Vinnie Paul, drummer of Pantera, Damageplan and Hellyeah, and Dimebag’s brother. Both men were more than stellar musicians, they were incredible human beings who brought light into so many lives. It is no surprise that their musical peers and friends show up in droves to honor their memory by playing their songs, and sharing their love for these two giants.

The one-of-a-kind lineup featured members of Accept, Act Of Defiance, Anthrax, Armored Saint, Bad Wolves, Bad Guys Wear Black, Broken Hope, Butcher Babies, Cody Jinks, Crowbar, Cypress Hill, Dylan Rose, Foo Fighters, Grim Reaper, Hatebreed, Hellyeah, In Flames, In This Moment, Iron Maidens, Kill Devil Hill, King Diamond, King’s X, Kyng, Lamb of God, Lita Ford, Pearl, Prong, Sebastian Bach, Sepultura, Stone Sour, The Haunted, Testament, Tyr, Vio-Lence and more, including the debut of Revel Ian, son of Scott Ian and Pearl Aday.

Jose “Metal Ambassador” Mangin kicked things off on lead vocals, performing the second song from all over the crowd, as fans surfed him from the front of the house all the way back to the stage. He also shared emotional speeches about the power of music and love and gratitude. Riki Rachtman also told stories from his days on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, where he was forced to call him “Diamond” Darrell instead of “Dimebag” due to outrageous censorship.

Ron Williams of RONZ WORLD Custom Painted Guitars delivered yet another amazing original piece, which was auctioned off, as the winner was chosen by Rita Haney, Dime’s longtime girlfriend and keeper of his legacy. Proceeds from the event will benefit music education and animal rescues.

After the show, VIP guests were able to join the artists backstage to enjoy Back Beat BBQ, which none other than Dave Grohl himself had been cooking since 8:00 that morning. This was the best pulled pork and ribs that I have ever eaten. Is there nothing this man cannot do? All in all, it was an emotional, empowering evening of entertainment and excess.

NAMM 2020 Dimebash

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Dimebash 2020 Honors “Dimebag” Darrell with All Star Jam and Dave Grohl’s BackBeat BBQ first appeared on Game On Media.

Additional All-Star Talent Announced For

Dimebash

Event Honoring “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott Will Feature Members Of

Anthrax, Bad Wolves, Cypress Hill, Foo Fighters,

Hatebreed, Hellyeah, In Flames, In This Moment,

 Lamb of God, Sepultura, Stone Sour, Testament & More

Co-Hosted by SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin and Riki Rachtman

Thursday, January 16

At The Observatory OC In Santa Ana, CA

With Exclusive Artist & VIP Backstage Afterparty Featuring

Dave Grohl’s BackBeat BBQ

Limited Number Of Tickets Still Available

Additional talent has been announced for the upcoming Dimebash all-star jam tribute to “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, the late co-founder and guitarist of Pantera and Damageplan. Set for Thursday, January 16 at The Observatory OC in Santa Ana, California, the one-of-a-kind lineup will feature members of Accept, Act Of Defiance, Anthrax, Armored Saint, Bad Wolves, Bad Guys Wear Black, Broken Hope, Butcher Babies, Cody Jinks, Crowbar, Cypress Hill, Dylan Rose, Foo Fighters, Hatebreed, Hellyeah, In Flames, In This Moment, Iron Maidens, Kill Devil Hill, King Diamond, King’s X, Kyng, Lamb of God, Lita Ford, Pearl, Prong, Sebastian Bach, Sepultura, Stone Sour, The Haunted, Testament, Tyr and more surprise guests.

The all-star jam will feature Dime’s music and some of his favorite songs, with the Texas homegrown sounds of WhiskeyDick opening the show as top rock and metal artists honor the guitar legend 15 years after his untimely passing. See highlights from the 2019 Dimebash and Backbeat BBQ event in this new video:

www.facebook.com/dimebagdarrell/videos/996125130761585/

The all-ages event, which also serves as the unofficial kick-off for the Winter NAMM show, starts at 7:00 PM and will be hosted by metal ambassadors Jose Mangin (Affliction / SiriusXM) and Riki Rachtman (former MTV Headbangers Ball host / Cathouse founder). A limited number of general admission tickets are still available for $33 (plus fees) via www.DimebagDarrell.com. There will also be lots of great raffle prizes to win throughout the night.

Dimebash 2020 partners include Metal Blade, Dunlop Manufacturing, Dean Guitars, BackBeat BBQ, Affliction, Paiste Cymbals, Creekstone Farms and Ronz World Guitars. Proceeds from the event will benefit music education and animal rescues.

The Observatory OC is located at 3503 S. Harbor Blvd. in Santa Ana, CA.

To further celebrate Dimebag’s life, fans can order Dimevision Vol. 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over via Metal Blade Records here: https://www.metalblade.com/dimevision/#order. Dimevision Vol. 2… is a true celebration of Dimebag and how he lived his life. The DVD/CD set includes classic video clips as well as five demos picked from a vast catalog that Dimebag accrued starting in 1984 when longtime girlfriend Rita Haney gave him his first 4-track. Dimevision Vol. 2 also includes never before published photos from Stephanie Cabral, dates, stories, and notes on the five tracks. Rita worked in collaboration with Daryl “Bobby Tongs” Arnberger–who was one of Dimebag‘s closest friends and an official videographer for Pantera and Damageplan—and film editor Rob Fenn to choose 33 segments for Dimevision Vol. 2.

For more information on Dimebash 2020, visit:

www.DimebagDarrell.com

www.facebook.com/dimebagdarrell

@dimebagdarrell

Dimebash Event Honoring Dimebag Darrell Announces All-Star Talent first appeared on Game On Media.

Joyous Wolf is a young band with an old soul, making them a perfect choice to open for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Deep Purple. Vocalist Nick Reese, guitarist Blake Allard, bassist Greg Braccio, and drummer Robert Sodaro bring a classic rock and roll sensibility to their music and performance. The Long Goodbye Tour stopped at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California on September 6, 2019.

We caught up with the Southern California boys after their well-received set, to discuss the whirlwind year they are experiencing. Joyous Wolf has been signed to Roadrunner (Atlantic Records), recorded their debut album “Place In Time”, created several videos, toured for 6 months with Buckcherry, and opened for Stone Sour, Slash with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, and now Deep Purple. When asked what their most memorable day in the past year was, the answered varied from “Tomorrow”, “Today”, “Being accepted and tutored by Buckcherry”, to “Being able to open for Slash”. They are very appreciative of the way that the experienced bands have treated them, and they study what it takes to maintain a long career in music.

The band always spends time at the merch booth, signing autographs and taking selfies with every fan, truly putting in the effort to win over each individual.  They put the same work in onstage, squeezing everything they have into their allotted time, engaging the crowd who typically doesn’t know who they are, many of whom end up joining the Joyous Mob.

Listen to “Place In Time” and track tour dates at https://joyouswolf.com/

Joyous Wolf Pechanga 19

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Joyous Wolf at Pechanga Resort and Casino first appeared on Game On Media.