{"key":"24161","name":"Iron Maiden","bio":"There are multiple artists with this name:1) Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, east London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The band's discography has grown to thirty-seven albums, including fifteen studio albums, eleven live albums, four EPs, and seven compilations.Pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden achieved initial success during the early 1980s. After several line-up changes, the band went on to release a series of US and UK platinum and gold albums, including 1982's The Number of the Beast, 1983's Piece of Mind, 1984's Powerslave, 1985's live release Live After Death , 1986's Somewhere in Time and 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Since the return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the band have undergone a resurgence in popularity, with their latest studio offering, The Final Frontier, peaking at No. 1 in 28 different countries and receiving widespread critical acclaim.Despite little radio or television support, Iron Maiden are considered one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history, with The New York Times reporting in 2010 that they have sold over 85 million records worldwide. The band won the Ivor Novello Award for international achievement in 2002. As of October 2013, the band have played over 2000 live shows throughout their career. For the past 35 years, the band have been supported by their famous mascot, \"Eddie\", who has appeared on almost all of their album and single covers, as well as in their live shows.The band has changed their line-up several times up to 1999 when Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith returned to the band. Their current line-up is:Steve Harris (1975-): bass, backing vocals, studio keyboardsDavid Michael Murray (1975-): guitarPaul Bruce Dickinson (1981-1993 1999-): lead vocals (see also Bruce Dickinson, Samson)Nicko McBrain (1983-): drums, percussion (see also Trust)Janick Gers (1990-): guitar (see also Bruce Dickinson, White Spirit)Adrian Smith (1980-1990, 1999-): guitar, backing vocals (see also Bruce Dickinson and Psycho Motel).Former members:Doug Sampson \u2013 drums, percussion (1977\u20131979)Dennis Stratton \u2013 guitars, backing vocals (1979\u20131980)Paul Di'Anno \u2013 lead vocals (1978\u20131981)Clive Burr \u2013 drums, percussion (1979\u20131982)Blaze Bayley \u2013 lead vocals (1994\u20131998)Dennis Wilcock - lead vocals (1976\u20131977)Barry Purkis \u2013 drums, percussion (1977)Paul Day - lead vocals (1975\u20131976).Iron Maiden's work has inspired other sub-genres of heavy metal, including power metal and speed metal, and is generally thought of as an influence to any \"metal\" music containing dual-guitar harmonization. One example of their far reaching influence is that many bands from virtually every rock and metal sub-genre list Iron Maiden as one of their influences.Many of the band's songs are based on history, folklore, movies and books, such as Aces High, Brave New World, The Trooper, The Clansman, The Wicker Man, The Prisoner, Where Eagles Dare, Out of the Silent Planet, To Tame a Land(based on Frank Herbert's Dune) and Rime of the Ancient Mariner \u2013 in which words from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem are incorporated into the song. http:\/\/www.ironmaiden.com\/2) Iron Maiden (later aka The Bolton Iron Maiden) is a late sixties doom-band. This Iron Maiden was formed in 1964 by Barry Skeels, Steve Drewett, Chris Rose and Alan Hooker as an acoustic band in Basildon, Essex that eventually evolved into a band called Iron Maiden. By 1966, the lineup was Skeels (bass), Drewett (vocals\/harmonies), Rose (lead guitar), Tom Loates (rhythm guitar) and Stan Gillem (drums); they played Rolling Stones and blues numbers under the name \"Growth\". Reduced to a two-piece, Drewett and Skeels played blues under the name of \"Stevenson's Blues Department\" in pubs and clubs in Essex and London. They supported a number of up and coming bands including Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac, The Groundhogs and King Crimson.In 1968, Drewett and Skeels were joined by Paul Reynolds (drums) and Trevor Thoms (guitar). They released an acetate (God of Darkness\/Ballad of Martha Kent) under the then risqu\u00e9 name of BUM. When they signed to the Gemini label in 1970, the name was changed to the less risqu\u00e9 Iron Maiden. They recorded their debut album Maiden Voyage. Reynolds was replaced by Steve Chapman on drums and Iron Maiden released the single Ned Kelly\/Falling. This coincided with Mick Jagger's film \"Ned Kelly\". A planned Australian tour fell through. The Gemini record label also folded (with the loss of the debut album master tapes) and Skeels left Iron Maiden. The band carried on without him for a while, but the debut album was not released until 1998 using duplicate tapes owned by Skeels. This \"original\" Iron Maiden is often considered by fans as one of the earliest 'true' doom metal bands.However, soon after the \"original\" Iron Maiden was re-discovered , their name was officially changed to 'The Bolton Iron Maiden' since the Iron Maiden led by Steve Harris already had the name 'Iron Maiden' trademarked.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/24161_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"500,000 - 1,000,000"}

{"key":"1431","name":"Slipknot","bio":"Slipknot is an American alternative\/nu metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in their early days, the band consisted of nine members for the greater part of their tenure: Sid Wilson, Paul Gray, Joey Jordison, Chris Fehn, Jim Root, Craig Jones, Shawn Crahan, Mick Thomson, and Corey Taylor. However, the death of Paul Gray on May 24, 2010, left the band with only eight remaining members. Former guitarist Donnie Steele will be the band\"s touring bassist in 2011.Slipknot is well known by their attention-grabbing image, aggressive music style and chaotic live shows. The band had somewhat of a meteoric rise to success following the release of their self-titled debut album, Slipknot, in 1999. The 2001 follow-up album Iowa further increased the band\"s popularity. After breaking for their first hiatus, Slipknot returned in 2004 with Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) and once again in 2008 with their fourth album All Hope Is Gone, which debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200. The band has also released one live album, 9.0 Live, and four DVDs. Slipknot hosted their first annual music festival, called Knotfest, which was held on August 17, 2012, at Mid-America Motorplex near Pacific Junction, Iowa and August 18, 2012, in Somerset, Wisconsin. The long awaited fifth studio album is in the works and is expected to be released in 2014. Taylor has described the forthcoming album as \"very dark\" and a cross between Iowa and Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). On February 27, 2014, all of Slipknot\"s social media outlets and official website content was blacked out. No reason for this has been said, however the band are still recording their next album.Slipknot has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, resulting in one win. Wait and Bleed \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Best Metal Performance, 2001 (nomination) Left Behind \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Best Metal Performance, 2002 (nomination) My Plague \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Best Metal Performance, 2003 (nomination) Duality \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Best Hard Rock Performance, 2005 (nomination) Vermilion \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Best Metal Performance, 2005 (nomination) Before I Forget \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Best Metal Performance, 2006 (winner) Psychosocial \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Best Metal Performance, 2009 (nomination)","featuredImage":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/-5Of3QLRqTIk\/AAAAAAAAAAI\/AAAAAAAAAAA\/Tmf4smULSck\/s900-c-k-no-mo-rj-c0xffffff\/photo.jpg","feeRange":"300,000 - 500,000"}

{"key":"271","name":"Disturbed","bio":"There are 2 acts by the name of Disturbed;1) Well-known American hard rock band with lead singer David Michael Draiman, formed in 1996, with several albums including The Sickness (Giant\/Reprise 2000), Believe (Giant\/Reprise 2002), Ten Thousand Fists (Reprise, 2005), Indestructible (Reprise, 2008) and Asylum (Reprise, 2010).2) Late 80's American Thrash band who released the album Disturbing the Peace in 1988; formed by Earl Root in 86\/87 and disbanded in 92\/93 before his death in 2008.1) Disturbed was formed in 1996 when musicians Dan Donegan, Steve Kmak, and Mike Wengren hired singer David Draiman in Chicago, Illinois. They have sold over 11 million albums worldwide, and released four consecutive #1 debuts a feat achieved by only two other rock bands in the history of the chart: Metallica and Dave Matthews Band. Originally classified as a nu metal band, Disturbed is now regarded by some music critics as hard rock or heavy metal, although others now regard them as nu metal. However, the band's genre is still being debated. When asked about die-hard metal fans not finding Disturbed heavy enough, frontman David Draiman stated:\"We probably have too much melody going on or we're not quite as turbulent or caustic. While I really love that type of music, it's not what we try to do. If we have to place things in context, we're more hard rock than heavy metal these days.\"Early Days, The SicknessIn their early years, Disturbed started recording several demos and played live shows. Not long after, in 2000, the band released their debut album, titled The Sickness, which launched the band into stardom. The song Down With the Sickness became extremely popular and was later used in many film soundtracks. Soon after the release of \"The Sickness\", Disturbed released a revamped cover version of \"Stone Cold\" Steve Austin's theme music for WWF called \"Glass Shatters\". Disturbed headlined the Ozzfest tour in 2001 alongside Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Black Label Society, and Crazy Town. Afterward, the band started their own tour, called Music as a Weapon. The bands Adema, Drowning Pool, Stereomud, and Systematic were featured on the tour alongside Disturbed.Before joining Marilyn Manson's 2001 European tour, Disturbed's bassist Steve \"Fuzz\" Kmak was unable to play with the band due to a shattered ankle. Fuzz injured his ankle by falling out of a fire escape outside Disturbed's rehearsal hall in Chicago a few days before Christmas. He took the fire escape to exit the building while the elevator was being used to move their equipment downstairs. After a successful operation, doctors highly recommended that he skip the tour to avoid more severe damage to his foot. Kmak did perform with the band on January 11th and 12th of 2001 in Chicago however. A bass player named Marty O'Brian was recruited and filled Fuzz's spot until Fuzz was able to play again. On June 4, 2002, Disturbed released a \"documentary\" about the band titled M.O.L., which showed some of the bands more personal moments in the studio and during tours.BelieveIn September 2002, Disturbed released their second studio album titled Believe, which debuted at #1. The songs Prayer, Liberate and Remember all became singles and many fans were impressed with the new album, despite it being less aggressive than their debut. The music video for \"Prayer\" was pulled from most TV stations due to the similarities it had with the September 11, 2001 attacks. Disturbed's front man, David Draiman, recorded the vocals for Forsaken, a track written and produced by Jonathan Davis of the band Korn for the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. In 2003, the band once again participated in the Ozzfest tour and started another one of their own tours named Music as a Weapon II. The bands Chevelle, Taproot, and Unloco toured with them.In early 2003, after Disturbed had finished the Music as a Weapon II tour, the band experienced the departure of bassist Fuzz, who was excused from the group due to \"personal differences.\" He was replaced with Matt Konopinski very briefly, and then John Moyer, who is now the current bass player.Ten Thousand FistsDisturbed toured with 10 Years and Ill Ni\u00f1o in support of their third album Ten Thousand Fists, released worldwide on September 20, 2005, which also debuted at #1 in North America. Ten Thousand Fists had five B-side tracks that were not released on the album, but rather on various singles and other albums. Currently the track \"Hell\" can be found on the \"Stricken\" single (a second version of this single has the studio version of the track \"Dehumanized\", which was originally featured as a live track on the Music as a Weapon II live album and DVD). The track can also be heard on the band's MySpace page. The track \"Monster\" was originally released as part of an iTunes pre-order package for the first people who pre-ordered Ten Thousand Fists. Afterwards, the track was very hard to find. But, it can now be found on the \"Tour Edition\" of Ten Thousand Fists (along with the track \"Two Worlds\"). The track \"Sickened\" can be found on the \"Land of Confusion\" single. The fifth and final track \"Criminal\" has been released on the band's newest album Indestructible. A month after the release of Ten Thousand Fists, Disturbed headlined the J\u00e4germeister tour along with the band Corrosion of Conformity.Disturbed supplied the song \"Stricken\" for WWE's New Year's Revolution 2006. In April 2006, the band completed an Australian tour supporting KoRn and sharing the tour with 10 Years and Hatebreed. In mid 2006, a European tour was scheduled but had been moved twice due to David Draiman having troubles with his voice.In late 2006, Draiman underwent surgery for a deviated septum which affected his voice. It was successful, and ever since then, Draiman has limited his drinking on the road. Disturbed headlined Ozzfest 2006 along with Ozzy Osbourne, System of a Down, Dragon Force, Avenged Sevenfold, Lacuna Coil, and Hatebreed. The band also went on the European tour that had been previously moved twice earlier in 2006. Disturbed headlined another one of their own tours named Music as a Weapon III; the bands Flyleaf, Stone Sour, and Nonpoint toured with them.Dave Draiman and RIAADraiman became involved in the music file sharing controversy by publicly speaking out against the RIAA's lawsuits against filesharing individuals, despite the fact his record label is a member of the RIAA.\"This is not rocket science. Instead of spending all this money litigating against kids who are the people they're trying to sell things to in the first place, they have to learn how to effectively use the Internet. For the artists, my ass\u2026I didn't ask them to protect me, and I don't want their protection.\" - Draiman.Draiman told NYRock:\"I'm Very positive about the internet, Napster. I think it's a tremendous tool for reaching many more people than we ever could without it. When you release music you want it to be heard by people. Artists really want to have their music heard. They want to have their creation heard by people. Nothing is going to do that better than Napster. I can't tell you how many kids have come up to me and said, 'I downloaded a couple of tunes off Napster and I went out and bought the album.' Or they say, 'I want to come see you play.' I don't really make money off of record sales anyway.\"Indestructible to Present (2007 - 2009)Indestructible was released in the United States on June 3, 2008 and in Australia on June 7, 2008 and became the band's third consecutive number-one debut on the Billboard 200. A special \"Internet Only\" limited edition of the album that includes the B-side track \"Run\", a making-of DVD with instructional videos, wrap-around poster, VIP laminate, access to special Disturbed events, and a special website with exclusive video, rare audio and more was also released. The band toured in support of the \"Mayhem Festival\" alongside Slipknot, DragonForce, and Mastodon during summer of 2008. Disturbed also completed a tour of Australia and New Zealand through August and September 2008.The band began their Music as a Weapon IV tour in March 2009 and it ended in late May. The tour, also dubbed a \"festival\", featured the bands Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil, and Chimaira on the main stage.Asylum (2010\u20132011)In an earlier interview, David Draiman briefly talked about the band's fifth studio album, stating that the album will be as dark as their previous album, Indestructible, if not darker. Song-writing for the fifth studio album began in late 2009. In an earlier interview with Mike Wengren and John Moyer, it was stated that, judging by Draiman's feelings on the last few years of his life, that Disturbed's new album will be aggressive, angry, and \"hard-hitting\", but will be similar musically to their album Believe. Wengren also said that the new album may be released in the spring or summer of 2010. Additionally, Draiman has confirmed that a DVD is in the works. A countdown clock appeared on the band's website, which ended on January 12, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. EST, and a trailer for the upcoming DVD, titled Decade of Disturbed, was revealed.In a July 2009 interview with FaceCulture, Draiman stated that the upcoming DVD will be \"chronicling the past decade of Disturbed's existence. It's meant to show our growth over the course of the decade.\" He also talked more about the upcoming fifth album: \"A couple of them that Danny has come up with are really amazing. But they're just little pieces\u2026it's not even in two-three part progression .\"A few months later on March 23, 2010, the band released a reissue of their debut album, The Sickness, with the B-side tracks God of the Mind and A Welcome Burden, as well as updated artwork. It will also be available for the first time in vinyl format.On February 8, 2010, it was announced that the band had entered the studio in Chicago, Illinois to begin recording their fifth album, tentatively set for a summer 2010 release. Guitarist Dan Donegan stated that the band has around 15 to 18 songs for the new album.On April 20, 2010, roughly two months after they entered the studio, Disturbed announced that they had finished recording the album, and were ready to begin mixing it in Los Angeles, California. As they did with their last album Indestructible, Disturbed stated that they self-produced Asylum. The band announced that Asylum would be released on August 31, 2010. On July 9, 2010, the track listing was revealed on the band's official website. Asylum debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200.The Lost Children and hiatus (2011\u2013present)In July 2011, the band confirmed it would go on hiatus after finishing their US tour that year, and in an interview that same month, Draiman dismissed concerns that the upcoming hiatus was a result of conflict between the band members, saying, \"This is really not due to any animosity. I want to make that very clear. In fact, we just had dinner together last night. Believe me, it's not like we can't work with each other any more or we don't get along. This isn't a bad blood thing, and I don't ever want people to get that impression of it.\" Disturbed went into hiatus in October 2011.Disturbed released a b-side compilation album, titled The Lost Children, on November 8, 2011. On February 8, 2012, it was announced that John Moyer is Heavy Metal supergroup Adrenaline Mob's new bass player. John made his onstage debut with the group on March 12, at New York City\u2019s Hiro Ballroom, a day before the release of the band's debut full-length album, Omert\u00e1. On April 21, 2012, to commemorate Record Store Day, Disturbed released \"The Collection\". It is a box set featuring the band's five full length studio albums in 140 gram vinyl LPs. In May 2012 Draiman announced his new project, an industrial metal band called Device. Draiman has released information regarding the future of Disturbed and his new project Device. He has stated that Device will release their self-titled debut album on April 9, 2013. The album will feature many guest musicians from various metal bands. Donegan, guitarist for Disturbed, also stated to a journalist for MTV that the future for Disturbed was unclear. \"I don't have a clear answer , because I'm not sure where everybody's head's at at the moment other than we're having a great time out on tour, we're going out big, we're carrying big production, we wanna end this on a big note,\" he said. \"I think we're not ready to sit down and have the discussions of when we wanna get back together or if we're gonna. So we're kind of winging it.\"On April 25, 2013, it was announced that guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren had begun a new project with Evans Blue singer Dan Chandler, Fight or Flight. Their debut album, Life by Design? has been set for release on July 23.Official site: http:\/\/www.disturbed1.com2) Late 80's Thrash band who released the album Disturbing the Peace in 1988.\"Cool crossover\/thrash metal. The music takes off quite a few times, especially when it comes up with contrasting mixtures, like \"Comatose\", which blends heavy doomy riffage with brutal death-tinged outbursts; there are also some undeveloped, but intriguing attempts at more technical thrash (the instrumental \"Brain Deth\", the sophisticated technical \"Productive Intercourse Serial Killer\"), spiced with some jolly, rock'n roll hooks. The shorter numbers are pure unbridled hardcore (\"Kill 'Em\"), but here come the laid-back, soft moments (\"Bought & Sold\", \"Die Die Die\"), and things are well balanced. \"Evil Sensations\" is a pleasant surprise near the end, being energetic thrash\/crossover, with a nice technical twist, followed by the melodic, but interesting instrumental \"Astronomically\", leaving very good impression, partially ruined by the aggressive hardcore closer \"What The Fuck\". The band disliked the popularity that a novelty song like WTF produced, and it WAS a fan favorite but largely dropped from their live set in the 1990s. Due in part to the lyrics and how the band felt about the song. The band was formed in Minneapolis, MN but toured extensively all over, including the stomping grounds of the later Disturbed; Chicago! They played Jack Koshick's Milwaukee MetalFest in it's earliest days and supported Sepultura and Pestilence on tour, as well as Death and Sadus, and local legends IMPALER. Earl passed away in 2008, he is missed by all who knew him, and his MySpace page remains testament.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/271_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"100,000 - 200,000"}

{"key":"1442","name":"Avenged Sevenfold","bio":"Avenged Sevenfold (often abbreviated to A7X) are a hard rock band which formed in 1999 in Huntington Beach, California, United States. The band consists of M. Shadows (vocals), Synyster Gates (guitar), Zacky Vengeance (guitar) and Johnny Christ (bass). The band's drummer James \"The Rev\" Sullivan died in 2009, and the band has not named a permanent replacement. Currently, the band tours with former Confide drummer Arin Ilejay.The band has released five albums since their formation: \"Sounding the Seventh Trumpet\" (2001), \"Waking the Fallen\" (2003), \"City of Evil\" (2005), \"Avenged Sevenfold\" (2007) and \"Nightmare\" (2010).The band was formed in 1999. Avenged Sevenfold's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, was recorded when the band members were eighteen years old. It was originally released on their first label, Good life Recordings. After lead guitarist Synyster Gates (also known by Brian Haner Jr.) joined the band, the introductory track \"To End The Rapture\" was re-recorded with Gates playing, and the album was re-released on Hopeless Records. Their follow-up album, entitled Waking the Fallen, was also released on Hopeless Records and was awarded a positive rating in Rolling Stone magazine. Shortly after its release, Avenged Sevenfold were signed to Warner Bros. Records.City of Evil, the third album which was released on June 7 2005, strayed from metalcore, and instead headed more towards heavy metal and adds a harder rock sound with influences ranging from various bands. During the recording of City of Evil, M. Shadows' vocal styling changed to focus more on melodic singing rather than hardcore screaming. Some cite the change in vocal style as consequence of vocal chord damage (that resulted in subsequent surgery) during a tour supporting Waking the Fallen. Shadows denies the injury as being the reason. In the \"All Excess\" DVD, producer Mudrock clarifies this subject and affirms this is not the reason why the band changed style. He says \"One thing I see on the Internet, and that I just want to set the record straight on is, when I met the band, before they recorded Waking The Fallen, Matt handed me the CD and said \"this record is screaming, the record we wanna make is half screaming and half singing. I don't wanna scream anymore, but I'm going to make a record that's half singing and half screaming, and a record after that is going to be only singing\". The already knew they wanted to make a singing record right by the time City Of Evil came out, that was two years before it came out, that's what the band wanted to do as artists.\"The band's name is a reference to the book of Genesis in the Bible where Cain is sentenced to live in exile for the crime of murdering his brother. God marked him so that none would kill him on account of his sin; the man who dared to kill Cain would have \"vengeance taken upon him sevenfold.\" The title of Avenged Sevenfold's song \"Chapter Four\" references Genesis 4:15, the chapter of the Bible in which the story of Cain and Abel takes place. The song's subject also appears to be this story. \"Beast and the Harlot\", yet another song derived from the Bible, comes from the book of Revelation only it is written in the first person and refers to the punishment of Babylon the Great, world empire and seat of false religion. Another Bible reference occurs in the song \"The Wicked End\". In the song, several times it is said \"dust the apple off, savor each bite, and deep inside you know Adam was right.\" making reference to Eve eating the forbidden fruit. Although the band's title and members' stage names make references to religion, Shadows stated in an interview that they are \"not really religious at all.\" \"Anyone that read the lyrics and really knew anything about us, they would know we're not promoting either\", he said. \"That's one thing about this band that I love is that we never really shove any kind of, like, political or religious beliefs on people. We just, the music's there to entertain and maybe thought-provoking on both sides, but we don't try to, like, really shove anything down anyone's throat. There's too many bands that do that nowadays, I think.\" The song \"Bat Country\" is a reference to the book\/movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The song is dedicated to the Author of the book, the late Hunter S. Thompson. Their song \"Blinded In Chains\" was used in the soundtrack for the video games Need for Speed: Most Wanted and Arena Football. \"Bat Country\" was used in the soundtracks for SSX on Tour, NHL 06 and Madden 06, following in the footsteps of \"Chapter Four\" which had also been on the soundtrack for NHL 2004, Madden 2004 and NASCAR Thunder 2004. The song \"Beast and the Harlot\" was in the soundtrack for Burnout Revenge. All the above games, not coincidentally, are produced by various divisions of Electronic Arts. \"Beast and the Harlot\" also appears in RedOctane's Guitar Hero II, released in November 7, 2006. The song \"Burn it Down\" is featured on the October 24, 2006 release of the Saw III soundtrack.During recent tours (Spring 2006 and Ozzfest 2006 tours) Avenged Sevenfold have been performing the song \"Walk\", originally by Pantera, as part of a tribute to the late Dimebag Darrell Lance Abbott.At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, Avenged Sevenfold received the award for best new artist. They took the award over several other artists like Angels & Airwaves and James Blunt. After canceling fall and winter 2006 tour dates, the band is planning their unnamed fourth studio album. M. Shadows has stated that it will not be a City of Evil Part 2 or Waking the Fallen Part 2, because they want to change their sound once more. They say it will be somewhat of a surprise to their fans. Some people are rejecting their new sounds, as some are embracing it.The band released their first DVD, Avenged Sevenfold : All Excess on July 17, 2007.Avenged Sevenfold, the band's fourth album, was released on October 30, 2007, debuting at No.4 on the Billboard 200 with over 90,000 copies sold. Two singles, \"Critical Acclaim\" and \"Almost Easy\" were released prior to the album's debut. In December 2007, an animated video was made for \"A Little Piece of Heaven.\" Due to the song's controversial subject matter, however, Warner Brothers only released it to registered MVI users over the internet. The third single, \"Afterlife\" and its video was released in January 2008. Their fourth single, \"Dear God\", was released on June 15, 2008. Although critical reception was generally mixed the self-titled album went on to sell over 500,000 copies and was awarded \"Album of the Year\" at the Kerrang! Awards.Avenged Sevenfold headlined the 2008 Taste of Chaos tour with Atreyu, Bullet for My Valentine, Blessthefall and Idiot Pilot. They used the footage from their last show in Long Beach for Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough, a two-disc B-sides CD and live DVD which was released on September 16, 2008. They also recorded numerous covers, including Pantera's \"Walk\", Iron Maiden's \"Flash of the Blade\" and Black Sabbath's \"Paranoid\".In January 2009, M. Shadows confirmed that the band was writing the follow-up to their self-titled fourth album within the upcoming months. They also announced that they will be playing at Rock on the Range, from May 16\u201317, 2009. On April 16, they performed a version of Guns N' Roses' \"It's So Easy\" onstage with Slash, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.On December 28, 2009, drummer James \"The Rev\" Sullivan was found dead at his home at the age of 28. Autopsy results were inconclusive, but on June 9, 2010, the cause of death was revealed to have been an \"acute polydrug intoxication due to combined effects of Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, Diazepam\/Nordiazepam and ethanol\". In a statement by the band, they expressed their grief over the passing of The Rev and later posted a message from Sullivan's family which expressed their gratitude to his fans for their support.he band members admitted in a number of interviews that they considered disbanding at this point of time. However, on February 17, 2010, Avenged Sevenfold stated that they had entered the studio, along with now-former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, to drum for the record, in place of the Rev.The single \"Nightmare\" was digitally released on May 18, 2010. A preview for the song was released on May 6, 2010 on Amazon.com, but was removed soon after for unknown reasons. Mixing for the album had been completed in New York City, and Nightmare was finally released worldwide on July 27, 2010. It met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics but was well received by the fans. Nightmare beat sales projections easily, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with sales of 163,000 units in its first week. After finishing recording, in December, Portnoy and the band posted simultaneous statements on their websites stating that he will not be their replacement for The Rev. However, Portnoy did travel with the band overseas in December 2010 for three shows in Iraq and Kuwait sponsored by the USO. They played for US Soldiers at Camp Adder, Camp Beuhring, and Balad Air Base. On January 20, 2011, Avenged Sevenfold announced via Facebook that former Confide drummer Arin Ilejay will tour with them starting this year. Whether or not he will be joining the band on a permanent basis has not been decided yet.Avenged Sevenfold performed at the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals on June 3\u20135, 2011 alongside other bands such as Alter Bridge, System of a Down, and In Flames. On April 2011, the band headlined the Golden God Awards held by Metal Hammer. The same night the band won three awards for \"Best Vocalist\" (M. Shadows), \"Epiphone Best Guitarist(s)\" (Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance) and \"Affliction\u2019s Album of The Year: \" for Nightmare, while Mike Portnoy won the award for \"Drum Workshop\u2019s Best Drummer\" for his work on the album.In May 2011, it was confirmed that the band had written a new song to be included in the Escalation DLC pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The song is the first time developers Treyarch have commissioned an outside band to contribute a song since the franchise began. The song, titled \"Not Ready to Die\", was released on iTunes on May 2, 2011.Avenged Sevenfold headlined the 2011 Uproar Festival with supporting acts Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet For My Valentine, Escape The Fate, among others. In August 2011, vocalist M. Shadows stated the band would finish the Uproar Festival, then go home to take a break for six to seven months before starting a new record. He also roughly stated that Arin Ilejay and the band are getting along great, but that they have to make sure he's comfortable writing music with them, but also that he hopes everything works out.In November and December, 2011, the band went on their \"Buried Alive\" tour with supporting acts Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandria, and Black Veil Brides.The band will be touring through Asia into April and early May, and are scheduled play the Orion Music + More Festival on June 23 and 24 in Atlantic City, New Jersey alongside Metallica and Cage the Elephant among many others.Band Members :M. Shadows - VocalsSynyster Gates - Guitars, Back vocalsZacky Vengeance - Guitars, Back vocalsJohnny Christ - Bass, Back vocalsArin Ilejay - DrumsFormer Members:Matt Wendt - bass Justin Meacham - bass, pianoDameon Ash - bassThe Rev - Drums, Back vocals Mike Portnoy - drumsOther Members:Papa Gates - additional guitars, pedal steel","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/1442_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"300,000 - 500,000"}

{"key":"24348","name":"Megadeth","bio":"Megadeth is an American thrash metal band led by founder, frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Dave Mustaine. Formed in 1983 Los Angeles, California with bass player Dave Ellefson following Mustaine's departure from Metallica, the band has since released fourteen studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, two extended plays, thirty-four singles, eight video albums, and thirty-two music videos.As a pioneer of the American thrash metal movement, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s, but experienced numerous line-up changes, due partly to the band's notorious substance abuse problems. After finding sobriety and securing a stable line-up, Megadeth went on to release a string of platinum and gold albums, including the platinum-selling landmark Rust in Peace in 1990 and the Grammy nominated, multi-platinum Countdown to Extinction in 1992. Megadeth disbanded in 2002 after Mustaine suffered a severe nerve injury to his left arm, but following extensive physical therapy, Mustaine reformed the band in 2004 and released The System Has Failed, followed by United Abominations in 2007; the albums deputed on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #18 and #8, respectively.Megadeth is known for a distinctive guitar style, often involving complex, intricate musical passages, and trade off guitar solos. Mustaine is also known for his original \"snarling\" vocal style, as well as his recurring lyrical themes, often involving politics, war, addiction, and personal relationships.As one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands of all time, Megadeth has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, including six consecutive platinum albums, with seven consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance. In the band's 23 active years, Megadeth has had 20 official members, with Dave Mustaine remaining as the driving force, main songwriter, and sole original member following the end his musical partnership with Dave Ellefson in 2002. Megadeth is hailed as one of the bands among the \"Big Four of Thrash,\" along with Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, who were responsible for creating and popularizing the genre in the 1980s.Just two months after Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica in 1983, guitarist\/vocalist Dave Mustaine formed the thrash metal quartet Megadeth. Though Megadeth followed the basic blueprint of Metallica's relentless attack, Mustaine's group distinguished themselves from his earlier band by adding an emphasis on instrumental skills, speeding the tempo up slightly, and making the instrumental attack harsher. By streamlining the classic thrash metal approach and making the music more threatening, as well as making the lyrics more nihilistic, Megadeth became one of the leading bands of the genre during the mid-'80s and late '80s. Each album they released went at least gold, and they continually sold out arenas across America, in addition to developing a strong following overseas. By the early '90s, they had toned their music down slightly, yet that simply increased their following; all of their proper '90s albums debuted in the Top Ten.Throughout Megadeth's many lineup changes, the two core members were bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist\/vocalist Dave Mustaine (born September 13, 1961), who was the band's official leader. Mustaine grew up in the suburbs of Southern California, where he was raised by his mother in a broken home; frequently, his mother left him to be raised by aunts and uncles, who never encouraged his musical inclinations and often belittled him for his fondness for heavy metal. In 1981, he formed Metallica with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Mustaine spent two years with Metallica, developing a strong cult following in California's underground metal scene, before he was kicked out of the group in 1983, allegedly over his substance abuse.For the next few years, Megadeth toured and gained a following, signing with the independent label Combat in late 1984. The following year, the group released their debut, Killing Is My Business\u2026And Business Is Good!, which received strong reviews, not only in metal-oriented publications, but also in mainstream music magazines. The album sold very well for an independent release, which attracted the attention of major record labels. By the end of the year, the group had signed with Capitol. Megadeth's first major-label album, Peace Sells\u2026But Who's Buying?, was released in the fall of 1986. Like its predecessor, Peace Sells was greeted by strong reviews and sales; it eventually went platinum.In January 1988 Megadeth released So Far, So Good\u2026 So What!, and while the album was eventually certified platinum in the United States, it was initially panned by critics, with Allmusic complaining that the album \"lacked conceptual unity and musical bite\", and that it \"wants to sound threatening but mostly comes off as forced and somewhat juvenile\". So Far, So Good\u2026 featured the single \"In My Darkest Hour\", with music written by Mustaine as a tribute to fallen Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. The song remains a fan favorite, and has been performed at nearly every Megadeth show since. So Far, So Good\u2026 also featured a cover version of the Sex Pistols' \"Anarchy in the UK\", with lyrics altered by Mustaine (who later admitted to hearing them wrong).In the years immediately following the release of So Far, So Good\u2026So What!, Mustaine fired Jeff Young and Chuck Behler replacing them with guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. This lineup recorded Megadeth's fourth and most progressive album, Rust in Peace. The record peaked at number 23 on the American charts and went platinum. 1991 saw Metallica break through to the mainstream, and sensing the possibility for similar success, Mustaine followed suit in stripping down the band's sound, though it remained as technically perfectionistic as Rust in Peace. The result, Countdown to Extinction, was released in 1992, entering the charts at number two; the record went double platinum and became the band's biggest hit, confirming that they had retained their audience in the wake of grunge.Now one of the most popular metal bands in the world, Megadeth moved further toward the mainstream with Youthanasia in 1994, which entered the charts at number four and, like its predecessor, went platinum. The following year, the group released Hidden Treasures, a rarities collection that featured some of the soundtrack tunes that had helped expand the group's MTV audience in the early '90s. 1997's Cryptic Writings found Megadeth fully embraced by album rock radio, which formerly would never have touched the band. Ex-Suicidal Tendencies drummer Jimmy DeGrasso signed on in 1998, in time for the following year's Risk. In 200f0, following the release of the best-of Capitol Punishment, Marty Friedman followed Nick Menza out the door; he was replaced by former Savatage and Alice Cooper guitarist Al Pitrelli. After signing with the BMG subsidiary Sanctuary, Megadeth debuted its new lineup on 2001's The World Needs a Hero.While on break from touring, Mustaine suffered a serious injury in January 2002 while staying in Texas. He was diagnosed with having radial neuropathy shortly thereafter, a condition that prevented him from playing guitar. The compressed radial nerves in his left arm and hand were strained, leaving Megadeth little recourse but to disband in April 2002, after almost 20 years in the music industry. During his time off, Mustaine prepared an elaborate reissue campaign, remastering each album and reissuing them all with bonus material. This campaign set the stage for a Megadeth revival, which came in 2004-2005 with a surprising comeback album, The System Has Failed, and some heavy touring. Capitol released a new best-of, simply titled Greatest Hits, just as Megadeth hit the summer concert circuit, headlining Mustaine's own Gigantour festival. In 2007 Megadeth released the politically charged United Abominations.As of May 19, Megadeth had finished recording the album and on June 18, the album title was revealed to be Endgame. On May 27, 2009, Dave Mustaine confirmed all 12 songs are complete and they are currently mixing and mastering the record. As mentioned by Dave Mustaine on the syndicated radio show Infowars, the name of the album Endgame is an homage to the Alex Jones documentary of the same name.The release date for the \"Endgame\" album was announced on the Megadeth official website as September 15, 2009, and Metal Hammer magazine's website were the first to review the album track by track. Megadeth began its Endgame tour on November 14, in Grand Rapids, Michigan and ended on December 13, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Tour featured Machine Head, Suicide Silence, Warbringer, and Arcanium.In January 2010, Megadeth was set to embark on the \"American Carnage\" tour with Slayer and Testament, both giants of the thrash and heavy metal scene. The tour was scheduled to begin on January 18, but was ultimately postponed until later in the summer due to Tom Araya's back surgery.Megadeth's \"Head Crusher\" was nominated for a 2010 Grammy.Megadeth also announced a \"Rust in Peace 20th Anniversary Tour\", which began on March 1 as a month-long North American tour with support from Testament and Exodus. During the tour, Megadeth played Rust In Peace in its entirety and Testament played The Legacy in its entirety. As of February 8, 2010, and prior to the start of the \"Rust in Peace 20th Anniversary Tour\", original bassist Dave Ellefson rejoined Megadeth after eight years. He stated in an interview for Classic Rock magazine that Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover contacted him and had said that bassist James Lomenzo was declining and had told him that \"if ever there was a time for you and Dave to talk, now is it.\"In recent news, Megadeth have been working on a new song entitled \"Sudden Death\" and to which Mustaine claims \"won't be ready for a half a year at best.\" However, it is due to appear in the video game Guitar Hero 6 this fall. On June 18th IGN posted a video showcasing the completed version of the song on the game. Megadeth are also due to release a 'Rust In Peace' Live DVD, recorded at the Hollywood Palladium, the set will be released on September 7th.Megadeth, along with Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax performed on the same bill for the first time on June 16, 2010 at Bemowo Airport (Warsaw, Poland). It was the first performance of that bands played as a part of Sonisphere Festival series, one of the following (Sofia, Bulgaria, June 22, 2010) was sent via satellite in HD to cinemas. They also went on to play in Athens, Greece (June 24, 2010), Bucharest, Romania (June 26, 2010) and then in Istanbul, Turkey (June 27, 2010) also as part of the Sonisphere Festival.On September 24, 2010, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax began The J\u00e4germeister Music Tour in Dallas, TX. Megadeth continued to play their 1990 album Rust In Peace in its entirety, while Slayer performed their Seasons in the Abyss album. On October 21, 2010, during the final show of J\u00e4germeister Music Tour, Kerry King joined Megadeth on stage at the Gibson Amphitheater in Hollywood, California to perform Megadeth's classic \"Rattlehead\". This was the first time in 26 years that Kerry King had shared the stage with Megadeth since he played with the band during Megadeth's very first shows in 1984.In an October 2010 interview with Crypt Magazine, Shawn Drover stated plans on another Megadeth album: \"Yeah, we\u2019re certainly talking about it. Right now we\u2019re in tour mode, but we\u2019re starting to discuss our game plan for next year, and I envision next year we\u2019ll be recording a new record.\" Later that month, Roadrunner Records submitted several Megadeth songs for Grammy nominations. They submitted \"Sudden Death\" for Best Metal Performance, \"The Right to Go Insane\" for Best Hard Rock Performance, and \"Rust in Peace Live\" for Best Rock Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards. \"Sudden Death\" was nominated, making it the band's ninth Grammy nominated song.On December 18, 2010, it was announced that Megadeth and Slayer would join forces once again for the European Carnage Tour in March and April 2011. Megadeth was also confirmed for the fourth annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival in July and August 2011. On January 25, 2011, another Big 4 show was announced, this time in the United States. The gig took place on April 23, 2011 in Indio, CA at the Empire Polo Club. At the time, this was the only scheduled stop in the US and was the first time all of the Big 4 members played on the same stage there. Shortly after the show, a second American show, to be held at at Yankee Stadium in New York, was announced.During an online chat with members of the band's fan club, Mustaine revealed that the band had completed five new songs for the next album. Mustaine also noted that the new album was turning out to be \"more like Endgame\". In an online post during the Thirteen's recording, Shawn Drover noted that working with producer Johnny K (Staind, Sevendust) was a \"blast\" and that he \"shared the same vision for the new album\". In an interview with Pure Grain Audio, Mustaine said that the album would sound quite different from previous offerings, claiming that it was \"different, a hundred percent different\", and calling the sound \"really super-modern\". Mustaine went on to state that he believes that it will be the band's best album since Countdown to Extinction.On June 3, 2011, it was announced that a new song, \"Never Dead\", was to be included in a trailer for the video game NeverDead. On July 4, 2011, in Hamburg, Megadeth debuted a new song entitled \"Public Enemy No. 1\". Public Enemy No. 1 was made available as a free single November 1, 2011, exclusively on iTunes.Mustaine announced on July 8, 2011 that the new album would be entitled Thirteen, though it would be stylized as \"TH1RT3EN\" on the album cover. He also confirmed in an interview with Rolling Stone on July 12, 2011 that \"Sudden Death\" (which earlier appeared in the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock), \"Never Dead\" and a title track, \"13\", would be included on the album.In an interview KISW 99.9 FM in Seattle, Mustaine stated that, after 4 years of absence, there would be a new Gigantour tour in 2012. In October 2011 it was announced that Mot\u00f6rhead, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil will feature alongside Megadeth for the next Gigantour. In February 2012 Rob Zombie and Megadeth announced nine-date co-headlining U.S. tour scheduled for May 2012.On September 11, 2012, it was announced that the band would re-release the Countdown to Extinction album for its 20th anniversary. Also announced was the band's 2012 fall tour in which the band would perform the album live in its entirety, similar to 2010's Rust in Peace anniversary tour. Additionally, in December 2012, another track from Thirteen, \"Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)\", was nominated for Best Hard Rock\/Metal Performance at the 55th Grammy Awards, but ultimately lost to Halestorm's \"Love Bites (So Do I)\".The band revealed on August 22, 2012, that they would be returning to the studio with producer Johnny K to record their fourteenth album. By December 2012, three new songs were \"tracked and almost done\". In 2013, Megadeth parted ways with Roadrunner Records for Mustaine's label, Tradecraft, distributed through Universal Music Group. Their fourteenth album, \"Super Collider\" was released on June 4 and debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, making \"Super Collider\" the band's highest charting album since 1994's \"Youthanasia\".Mustaine revealed that he is already thinking about a new Megadeth album, although \"Super Collider\" was released just 2 months prior. Mustaine says that the death of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman gave him a sense of mortality, explaining: \"We're planning our next time to go into the studio to start demoing up our next record,\" and \"You know, time is short. Nobody knows how long they're gonna live. You see what happened with Jeff Hanneman, so I wanna write as much as I can while I can.\"In August 2013 the band announced a new live release, \"Countdown to Extinction: Live\", recorded at the Fox Theater in Pomona, CA in December 2012.Current Members:Dave Mustaine (vocals, guitar) (1983-present)Dave Ellefson (bass) (1983-present)Shawn Drover (drums) (2004-present)Chris Broderick (guitar) (2008-present)Former Members:Glen Drover (guitar) (2004-2008)James MacDonough (bass) (2004-2006)Lee Rausch (drums) (1983)Gar Samuelson (drums) (1984-1987)Greg Handevidt (guitar) (1983)Jay Reynolds (guitar) (1987)Kerry King (guitar) (1983)Chris Poland (guitar) (1984-1987)Dijon Carruthers (drums) (1983)Mike Albert (guitar) (1986)Jimmy Sloas (bass) (2004)Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) (2004)Chuck Behler (drums) (1987-1989)Jeff Young (guitar) (1987-1989)Nick Menza (drums) (1989-1998)Al Pitrelli (guitar) (2000-2002)Marty Friedman (guitar) (1990-2000)Jimmy Degrasso (drums) (1998-2002)James Lomenzo (bass) (2004-2010)","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/24348_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"150,000 - 300,000"}

{"key":"2561","name":"Black Sabbath","bio":"Black Sabbath is an English heavy metal band that formed in 1968 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, originally comprising Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass), and Bill Ward (drums). In the early 70s, they were the first to pair heavily distorted, sonically dissonant blues rock at slow speeds with lyrics about drugs, mental pain and abominations of war, thus giving birth to generations of metal bands that followed in their wake. Their name itself taken from a notorious horror film, they are often credited with creating the Heavy Metal genre as well as the doom metal subgenre.Black Sabbath was formed in Aston, a poor district of Birmingham damaged by bombing during World War II, under the name Polka Tulk Blues Band (soon shortened to \u201cPolka Tulk\u201d), later Earth. Initially a rockin' blues band, Earth moved in a darker direction when the group, especially bassist Geezer Butler, being fans of the black magic novels of Dennis Wheatley, tried to make music to have the same effect as a horror movie or novel. Ozzy Osbourne wrote the lyrics to the second song they wrote together, \u201cBlack Sabbath\u201d (the song name was inspired by a 1963 Mario Bava film), and Tony Iommi wrote a riff based on the tritone, sometimes called \u201cDiabolus en Musica\u201d (\u201cthe Devil in Music\u201d).Later in their careers, Geezer Butler would write most of the lyrics to Black Sabbath songs, taking direct inspiration from Ozzy's instrumental ideas. In their Last Supper concert film, the band stated that the song is based on an experience Geezer had one night when he saw a black object at the end of his bed and noticed the next day that an occult book Ozzy had given him was missing. When the band found themselves being confused with another local band called Earth, which had a far lighter sound, they adopted the song title as their new name.As the band evolved, they added more European folk elements and gothic flourishes to their sound, which was like few groups during their time. Their lyrics dealt with darker issues than most conventional rock. Towards the late 60s, many British bands were into the peace movement and the hippie subculture, whilst Sabbath chose to distinguish themselves by dealing with heavier issues; the occult, war, apocalypse, drugs, and gothic storytelling. Their music conveyed a sense of anger and anti-establishment, the likes of which took previous rowdy vibes from the work of The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Doors, and other such bands into a coarse, almost nihilistic direction.It was this mix of dark lyrical themes and a slower, ominous sound that made Black Sabbath a significant element in the genre that would later be known as heavy metal. Alongside self-consciously 'heavy' contemporaries such as Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, Steppenwolf, and a few others of the late 60s, Black Sabbath would be massively influential as the years passed. Almost countless bands have covered their work either live or in studio.Despite their doom-laden image, much of the group\u2019s early material featured acoustic guitars, piano, symphony orchestras, keyboards, and even horns. The band's members strongly resisted labeling as being Satanists or other such things themselves; for example, Ozzy in particular decided to prank occultists setting up outside of one of their dressing rooms by re-arranging their candles to read 'Happy Birthday'. The label of making music dangerously seductive to the young would remain with the group throughout its career and be applied to many later metal groups.After the band\u2019s first four albums, the group became increasingly psychedelic, experimental, and progressive, leaving much of their dark, metallic roots behind. The last two Osbourne-fronted albums, 'Technical Ecstasy' (1976) and 'Never Say Die!' (1978) left a lot of fans dissatisfied with the band, as drugs and alcohol abuse began to take its toll on each member. Some signs seemed to point to the group's complete collapse.Osbourne was fired in 1978 for becoming increasingly unstable and unwilling to work with the material that, by this time, Tony Iommi was writing more or less entirely himself. Osbourne started a highly successful solo career in 1980. Still, his personal demons continued to haunt him for decades onward, even as he became one of the most iconic modern vocalists of all time.In 1979, Tony Iommi recruited former Rainbow members; singer Ronnie James Dio and bassist Craig Gruber. Gruber was recruited because Geezer Butler was unhappy with Osbourne\u2019s departure, and was rumoured to have quit the band. Gruber was dismissed and Geezer rejoined. Black Sabbath\u2019s first album with Dio, Heaven and Hell, proved to be a success, and saw the band\u2019s highest American charting since 1975\u2019s Sabotage. It was on this tour that Dio popularised the \u201cdevil horns\u201d hand gesture, which has since become a symbol of heavy metal music in general. The album also marked the inclusion of Quartz\u2019s guitarist-turned-keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (Nicholls has not been consistently credited as an official member, and has always been forced to play live shows from off stage (except on the Seventh Star tour in 1986 where he played on stage) supposedly for aesthetic reasons, but he has co-written many songs and has stayed with Black Sabbath through all subsequent incarnations, until he finally left in 2004. Adam Wakeman, son of Rick Wakeman, took over in 2005). Also during the tour, drummer Bill Ward quit the band for personal reasons (both his parents died within a rather short period, and Ward was struggling with alcoholism and other addictions). Drummer Vinny Appice joined to complete the tour and then record the next album Mob Rules, in which an early version of the title track appeared in the film Heavy Metal.Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinny Appice left the band after supposed disputes concerning the mixing of the live album Live Evil, and pursued a solo career together. Black Sabbath re-enlisted drummer Bill Ward, and, along with ex-Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan (who agreed to join the band whilst heavily intoxicated), released Born Again in 1983. It reached a respectable number two in the U.K. music charts, a success not seen since Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, ten years previously. However, the album was not received particularly fondly by critics or fans alike, and not even by singer Ian Gillan. The tour that followed was to provide a wealth of material for the spoof documentary on rock \u2018n\u2019 roll culture, Spinal Tap. Drummer Bill Ward was still recovering from poor health and so did not tour for the Born Again album. Instead, fellow Brummie Bev Bevan, formerly of The Move and the Electric Light Orchestra, took to the drumstool for the tour obligations.Once the tour was over, Ian Gillan left the band to rejoin his Mk.2 Deep Purple band mates. From here on the line-ups of Black Sabbath changed relentlessly, with Tony Iommi being the only constant member. Between 1986 and 1995 Black Sabbath released 7 studio albums and one live album, including a reunion album with the Mob Rules line-up (1992\u2019s Dehumanizer). The 5 Albums 1987 -1990 & 1994 - 1995 feature 2nd Longest Serving Singer of Black Sabbath Tony Martin, both Headless Cross (1989) & TYR (1990) albums are considered Black Sabbath Classic's by Hardcore fans. In 1997 the original line-up reunited for a proper world tour (as opposed to the one-off Live Aid in 1985, and Costa Mesa gigs on Ozzy\u2019s \u201cFarewell\u201d tour in 1992) and have toured on and off since.In 2007, the Mob Rules line-up reunited under the banner Heaven & Hell and toured in support of Black Sabbath - The Best of: the Dio Years featuring three new tracks and a release of Black Sabbath Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1982. They released a live CD\/DVD and released a studio album of entirely new songs in April 2009. Ronnie James Dio died from stomach cancer in 2010, his Heaven & Hell album being the last of his studio performances. Neon Nights: Live at Wacken was released the following year on CD\/DVD.On 11th November 2011, the original line-up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward hosted a press conference in which they stated they would be touring once more, their first shows since 2005, and recording their first album together since 1978's Never Say Die! However, the tour was radically reduced in scale as Iommi sought treatment for Lymphoma. In early 2012 Bill Ward publicly stated he would no longer be involved in the upcoming tour and album as he had been offered an \"unsignable contract\". Tommy Clufetos (Ozzy Osbourne, ex-Firewind, ex-Rob Zombie, ex-Alice Cooper) was asked to to join for touring obligations. Black Sabbath selected Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk to record on their nineteenth album \"13\".VH1\u2019s \"100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock\" ranked them second, behind Led Zeppelin. They were inducted into the Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006.Aside from being arguably the first heavy metal band, Black Sabbath also directly influenced many later metal sub-genres with their sound and imagery. Examples can be seen especially in doom metal and stoner metal, which are directly descended from Black Sabbath\u2019s original sound, with songs such as \u201cBlack Sabbath\u201d, \u201cInto the Void\u201d, \u201cHand of Doom\u201d and others showcasing Black Sabbath\u2019s staple doom sound. Other sub-genres influenced by Sabbath\u2019s sound also include speed metal and thrash metal on the opposite side, \u201cParanoid\u201d and \u201cSymptom of the Universe\u201d are considered early examples of these genres. Black Sabbath\u2019s lyrical use of hell, death, Satan and horror as imagery also greatly influenced heavy metal, as these themes are prevalent in nearly all heavy metal sub-genres.In December 2008 Iommi filed a lawsuit against merchandise company LiveNation for continuing to use the Black Sabbath name and Tony Iommi\u2019s likeness to sell merchandise, even after their contract had ended. On May 26, 2009 Osbourne filed suit in a federal court in New York against Iommi alleging that he illegally claimed the band name. Iommi noted that he has been the only band member for the full forty one years of the band, and that his bandmates relinquished their rights to the name in the 1980s, therefore claiming more rights to the name of the band. Although, in the suit, Osbourne is seeking 50% ownership of the trademark, he has said that he hopes the proceedings will lead to equal ownership among the four original members.Alphabetical Personnel:Don Airey - keyboardsVinny Appice - drumsBev Bevan - drumsMike Bordin - drumsJo Burt - bassGeezer Butler - bassTerry Chimes - drumsTommy Clufetos - drumsGordon Copely - bassLaurence Cottle - bassBob Daisley - bassRonnie James Dio - vocalsDave Donato - vocalsIan Gillan - vocalsRay Gillen - vocalsRob Halford - vocalsGlenn Hughes - vocalsTony Iommi - guitarRon Keel - vocalsTony Martin - vocalsNeil Murray - bassGeoff Nicholls - keyboardsOzzy Osbourne - vocalsCozy Powell - drumsBobby Rondinelli - drumsEric Singer - drumsDave Spitz - bassAdam Wakeman - keyboardsRick Wakeman - keyboardsDave Walker - vocalsBill Ward - drumsJezz Woodruffe - keyboardsBlack Sabbath Studio Albums:Ozzy Osbourne Era:1970 - Black Sabbath1970: Paranoid1971: Master of Reality1972: Vol. 41973: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath1975: Sabotage1976: Technical Ecstasy1978: Never Say Die2013: 13Ronnie J. Dio Era:1980: Heaven And Hell1981: Mob Rules1992: DehumanizerTony Martin Era1987: The Eternal Idol1989: Headless Cross1990: TYR1994: Cross Purposes1995: ForbiddenIan Gillan Era1983: Born AgainGlenn Hughes1986: Seventh Star","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/2561_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"300,000 - 500,000"}

{"key":"24386","name":"Dream Theater","bio":"Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts, before they dropped out to support the band. Though a number of lineup changes followed, including Portnoy's departure in 2010, Petrucci and Myung remain today along with James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess and Mike Mangini.The band has had moderate mainstream success, notably with Pull Me Under in the early 1990s, which received extensive MTV rotation. Dream Theater's (commonly abbreviated 'DT') three highest selling albums are the gold selling Images and Words (1992), despite it reaching only #61 on the Billboard 200 charts, and Awake (1994) which reached #32 on the Billboard 200. Systematic Chaos entered US Billboard 200 at #19. Black Clouds and Silver Linings reached #6 on the Billboard 200 Charts. On November 30, 2011, the album's lead single, \"On the Backs of Angels\", was nominated for a Grammy Award in the \"Best Hard Rock\/Metal Performance\" category, marking the band's first ever Grammy nomination. Dream Theater's self-titled twelfth studio album was released on September 23, 2013 and earned their second Grammy Award nomination, this time for \u201cBest Metal Performance\u201d, for the album's first single, \"The Enemy Inside\".Dream Theater has sold over two million albums in the U.S., and over 8 million albums and DVDs worldwide.In January of 2005, the band obtained their first United States platinum disc (representing 100 000 DVDs sold) with Live At Budokan, recorded April 2004 in Tokyo, Japan.The band released an album entitled Systematic Chaos, their ninth studio album, in collaboration with their new label Roadrunner Records. The album is available in two formats, first one being just a regular edition CD and the other being a CD\/DVD album with the entire album mixed in 5.1 surround sound and also \"Chaos in Progress - The Making of Systematic Chaos\" (a 90-minute documentary directed by Mike Portnoy).The band is well-known for the technical proficiency of each instrumentalist, winning many awards from music magazines. They are highly respected by many of rock and metal's biggest names, leading to collaborations between Dream Theater members and many other well known musicians. In a famous example, guitarist John Petrucci was named as the third player on the G3 tour with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, following in the foot steps of Eric Johnson, Robert Fripp, and Yngwie Malmsteen.Dream Theater is also noted for their musical versatility and the many different genres their music incorporates, which has made it possible for them to perform with a very diverse range of acts. Some of their more notable touring partners include Deep Purple, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Iron Maiden, Joe Satriani, King's X, Marillion, Megadeth, In Flames, Pain of Salvation, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Queensr\u00ffche, Spock's Beard, Fear Factory, Enchant, Symphony X, Yes, Big Wreck, I Mother Earth and Fates Warning.Current members:* James LaBrie - Vocals, percussion (1991 - present)* John Myung - Bass, Chapman Stick (1985 - present)* John Petrucci - Guitars, backing vocals (1985 - present)* Mike Mangini - Drums, percussion (2010 - present)* Jordan Rudess - Keyboards, lap steel guitar, Continuum (1999 - present)Former members:* Chris Collins - Vocals (1985-1986)* Charlie Dominici - Vocals (1987- 1990)* Kevin Moore - Keyboards (1985-1994)* Derek Sherinian - Keyboards (1994-1998)* Mike Portnoy -Drums, percussion, backing vocals (1985-2010)Studio albums and EPs:1989 - When Dream and Day Unite1992 - Images and Words1994 - Awake1995 - A Change of Seasons (EP)1997 - Falling into Infinity1999 - Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory2002 - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence2003 - Train of Thought2005 - Octavarium2007 - Systematic Chaos2009 - Black Clouds & Silver Linings2011 - A Dramatic Turn of Events2013 - Dream Theater2016 - The AstonishingSingles:1992 - Pull Me Under1992 - Another Day1994 - Lie1994 - The Silent Man1997 - Hollow Years2000 - Through Her Eyes2003 - As I Am2007 - Constant Motion2009 - A Rite of Passage2009 - WitherLive albums:1993 - Live at the Marquee1998 - Once in a LIVEtime2001 - Live Scenes From New York2004 - Live at Budokan2006 - Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with the Octavarium Orchestra2008 - CHAOS in MotionOfficial Bootlegs (from Ytse Jam Records):1985-1986 - The Majesty (Demo)1987-1989 - When Dream And Day Unite Demo (Demo)1989-1991 - Images and Words Demo (Demo)1994 - Awake Demo (Demo)1995 - Tokyo, Japan (10\/28\/95) (Live)1996 - Old Bridge, New Jersey (12\/14\/96) (Live)1999 - The Making of Scenes From a Memory (Studio Recordings)2002 - The Number of the Beast (10\/24\/02) (Live)2002 - Master of Puppets (02\/19\/02) (Live)2004 - When Dream and Day Reunite (03\/06\/04) (Live)2005 - Dark Side of the Moon (10\/25\/05) (Live)2007 - Made in Japan (Live)International Fan Club Releases (Christmas CDs):1996 - Christmas CD1997 - The Making Of Falling Into Infinity (Studio Recordings)1998 - Once In A LIVEtime Outtakes1999 - Cleaning Out The Closet2000 - Scenes From A World Tour2001 - Four Degrees Of Radio Edits2002 - Taste The Memories2003 - Graspop 20022004 - A Sort Of Homecoming2006 - A Walk Beside The BandIt may also be noted that Dream Theater's previous name was Majesty, after the band listened to the song Bastille Day by Rush and described it as being majestic. However, this name was short-lived as another band were performing and recording under the same name. So, they re-named themselves Dream Theater after a small cinema which was close to where drummer Mike Portnoy's father was living at the time. The name Majesty is the source of the band's \"M\" logo appearing on the cover artwork of several albums. The Dream Theater song entitled \"Ytse Jam\" is \"Majesty\" backwards and \"Ytse Jam\" is also the name of Mike Portnoy's record label.Official website: http:\/\/www.dreamtheater.net\/","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/24386_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"please contact"}

{"key":"1467","name":"Bullet for My Valentine","bio":"Bullet for My Valentine are a metalcore band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matt Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic heavy metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison, was released on 3 October 2005 in the United Kingdom and on 14 February 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day. The album entered the Billboard 200 in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The band made appearances at the Download Festival and Kerrang! XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire, was released on 29 January 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever, was released on 26 April 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over two million albums worldwide.","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/1467_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"20,000 - 50,000"}

{"key":"24353","name":"Slayer","bio":"Slayer is a thrash metal band from US, formed in 1981. The band was founded by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. The band was credited as one of the \"Big Four\" thrash metal bands, along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Megadeth.Slayer's musical traits involve fast tremolo picking, guitar solos, double bass drumming, and shouting vocals. The band's lyrics and album art, which cover topics such as death, deviants, suicide, genocide, necrophilia, insanity, Nazism, religion, Satanism, serial killers, and warfare have generated album bans, delays, lawsuits and strong criticism from religious groups and the general public. Slayer is best known for speaking through perspective without being necessarily sympathetic to the cause of their inspiration. Since their debut record in 1983, the band has released two live albums, one cover album, one box set, three DVDs, one VHS, two EPs, and eleven studio albums, four of which have received gold certification in the United States. The band has received three Grammy nominations, winning one in 2007 for the song \"Eyes of the Insane\", and one in 2008 for the song \"Final Six\". They have headlined music festivals worldwide, including Unholy Alliance and Ozzfest.Slayer was formed in 1981 in Huntington Park, Los Angeles, California. The Band was formed by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King when they met at a tryout for a local band. Tom Araya soon joined on bass and vocals, and drummer Dave Lombardo joined last later in 1982. They played in a style reminiscent of early Exodus, influenced heavily by punk acts Minor Threat, Stooges and Heavy Metal bands Venom and Judas Priest.\"Black Magic\", the heaviest, darkest, and most evil song at the time (according to some), was written in February, 1983, and marked Slayer's definite venture into thrash metal. They secured a spot on the compilation appeareance \"Metal Massacre III\" in 1983, contributing the speed metal song \"Aggressive Perfector\". They also recorded two demos in 1983, and became a popular live act in the Los Angeles area. (In 1983, Bob Gourley filled in for Dave for one gig. He later appeared in Dark Angel (US).) Their debut LP, Show No Mercy, was recorded in November, 1983.)A live EP was recorded in the studio in front of 50 of their closest friends in January, 1984, and after that \"Show No Mercy\" was released. The \"Haunting the Chapel\" and \"Live Undead\" EPs followed.After 1985's \"Hell Awaits\", Slayer were signed to Rick Rubin's Def Jam record label, better known for acts like Run DMC. This led to three studio albums, including the brutal \"Reign in Blood\", as well as a 1991 live double CD, \"Decade of Aggression\".Dave Lombardo left the band in 1987 for several weeks, and was replaced for a few live gigs by Tony Scaglione (Whiplash (US)), and then again left in 1992. Finally, in 1994, Paul Bostaph from Forbidden was brought in, and three more albums were recorded.Then, in 2001, Bostaph left to join Systematic, and Lombardo, who had been in Grip Inc. and Fantomas rejoined the band.Interesting facts:It's official that Slayer is the most covered metal band in the world aside from Metallica and Iron Maiden.Tom Araya (born Tomas Enrique Araya June 6, 1961 in Vina del Mar, Chile. He has provided guest vocals to recordings by other artists, including \"Iron Gland\" from Alice in Chains' album Dirt, and \"Terrorist\" from Soulfly's album Primitive. His brother is John Araya (Bloodcum (US), Thine Eyes Bleed)Kerry King recorded a guitar solo for \"No Sleep Til' Brooklyn\" by the popular hip-hop\/rock group Beastie Boys.Tom Araya's brother John (Bloodcum (US), Thine Eyes Bleed) worked as an sound engineer for Slayer in their early days.According the book of Jarek Szubrycht (Lux Occulta) \"Bez litosci. Prawdziwa historia zespo?u Slayer\", Greg Hall was asked to play with Slayer after Tony Scaglione left the band in January 1987. It never happens because Lombardo returned to the band.Gene Hoglan, the legendary drummer who has played in bands such as Dark Angel (US), Strapping Young Lad and Death, used to be a Slayer lights man and roadie on the Show No Mercy tour, and was asked to be Dave Lombardo's drum tech on the Haunting North America tour ('84), but knocked it back to pursue his own music career. He even did backup vocals on the album Show No Mercy (the song Evil Has No Boundaries).Birth Dates:Tom Araya (06 June 1961 Vina del Mar, Chile)Jeff Hannemann (31 January 1964 Oakland, CA)Kerry King (03 June 1964 Los Angeles, CA)Dave Lombardo (16 February 1965 Havana, Cuba)Paul Bostaph (26 March 1964 Newark, CA)+Rumor has it the band was originally known as Dragonslayer, after the 1981 movie of the same name. However, when King was asked \"How did you come up with the name Dragonslayer?\" King responded \"We never did; it's a myth to this day.\"","featuredImage":"https:\/\/assets.allamericanmusic.com\/images\/24353_h_0.jpg","feeRange":"150,000 - 300,000"}