Machine Head Holding Open Auditions for Bassist
Looking for a really sweet summer job? A month after splitting with longtime bassist Adam Duce, Machine Head is searching for a temporary bassist to play with them during this summer’s Mayhem Festival. The veteran metal band announced their bass auditions on their Facebook page. The audition requires bassists to record “standalone performances” of themselves playing and singing along to...
Newsted Announces 2013 Tour Dates
After releasing their Metal EP, Newsted is set to hit the road starting April 19th. The band, fronted by former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, will kick things off at the Red House in Walnut Creek, California before sweeping up the West Coast and heading east. The band’s lineup includes drummer Jesus Mendez, Jr. and guitarists Jesse Farnsworth and Mike Mushok....
Lamb of God Announces Tour Dates and Metal on the Mountain Retreat
Two weeks after lead singer Randy Blythe was exonerated of charges in the Czech Republic, Lamb of God are picking up where they left off with a new tour in support of their latest album Resolution. Kicking off in Asheville, North Carolina on May 16th, the group will visit 30 markets with direct support from Decapitated, while Terror will appear...
Lakland Introduces Skyline Hollowbody 30 Bass
Lakland has added another flavor of their Hollowbody bass to the Skyline series. The Skyline Hollowbody 30 shortens the model to a 30? scale for ease of playing and an old school feel. The bass is stocked with a pair of single-coil, vintage-style pickups with a Volume/volume/tone configuration. Its compact body is machined with an “F” hole. Other features include...
MonoNeon: Theme Song to the Martin Lawrence Show
A while back, we shared a video of MonoNeon jamming out part of the soundtrack to the original Sonic the Hedgehog game. Now he’s back with a bass cover of the theme to the Martin Lawrence Show. Who knew one minute of music could be so funky?
Planet Waves Adds Right Angle Instrument Cables to American Stage Series
Planet Waves has expanded their American Stage series of cables to include right angle instrument cables as well as XLR microphone cables. Made in the U.S., the cables are made with premium cable, Neutrik-built plugs, and inline solder joints. Another unique feature to the American Stage series is the Geo-Tip, a patented connector tip that better accommodates the range of...
Source Audio Now Shipping Soundblox 2 Orbital Modulator
Source Audio’s Soundblox 2 lineup has gotten a little spacier with the Orbital Modulator, a combination phaser, flanger, chorus and tremolo pedal designed for both bass and guitar. Housed in a cast-aluminum 4.5? by 4.5? chassis, the new stompbox offers plenty of tweakability with nine adjustable parameters including Depth, Feedback, Delay, Frequency, Volume, LoRetain (Source Audio’s proprietary low-end preserving algorithm),...
Christian McBride Trio: Cherokee
My buddy Andrew shared this on Facebook with the caption “Sweet Sassy Molassy,” and I couldn’t put it better myself. Here’s bass master Christian McBride with pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens ripping through the jazz standard “Cherokee”. The recording starts on the bridge, which the trio drops into a cool waltz feel as opposed to the burning straight...
Clutch Releases 10th Studio Album, “Earth Rocker”
Clutch’s long awaited 10th studio album, Earth Rocker, is now available on the band’s own Weathermaker label. The latest effort continues the band’s eclectic southern rock-inspired mix, and pushes the envelope with higher tempos and more aggressive grooves. Bassist Dan Maines explains Clutch’s approach was to not overthink and to just keep writing hard rocking songs. In a new preview...
Bass of the Week: Amfisound “Hellbass”
Our friend Greg B. emailed me with a few shots of his bass, and I couldn’t wait to share it. Greg’s axe was built by Finnish luthier Sampo Leppävuori of Amfisound, who based it after their Kuru model. The six-stringer – dubbed the “Hellbass” – has two personalities. The first is a gorgeous, bright red 4-string bass with a 32?...
101 Proof: An Interview with Rex Brown
Ten years after the band’s split, bassist Rex Brown has completely opened up about his time in the iconic metal outfit Pantera. His new autobiography, Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera, delves into his own youth, the band’s formation, rise and fall, the death of guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, and his struggles and successes since. Describing the...
In Memoriam: Philip Kubicki
Philip Kubicki, creator of the Factor Bass, has passed away after a battle with cancer. The renowned luthier spent nine years at Fender in their R&D department before creating his own brand. Kubicki first realized his fascination with instruments at his grandparents’ house. “When I was young – perhaps 12 or 13 years old – I found an old, handmade...