Arin Ilejay, the newest member of Avenged Sevenfold

  Back in December of 2009, the original drummer of Avenged Sevenfold, Jimmy Sullivan, passed away leaving the band with the song called "Nightmare". After he had passed Avenged Sevenfold needed someone to fill in for Jimmy to record the rest of there album, except Carry On and Not Ready to Die, and they ended up choosing Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. The band also decided Mike was not the right person to fill in for Jimmy forever and so eventually they found Arin Ilejay who used to be the drummer for Confide.

  Arin was recommended by Avenged Sevenfold's drum tech, Mike Fasano. "...We've rehearsed with Arin and have been impressed with his technical skills, attitude and work ethic. We're very excited to tour with Arin and hope all of you will give him the warm welcome to the family he deserves." Said by Avenged Sevenfold back in 2011.

  On November 14, Arin did an interview with Rock Sound and he seems to be very excited to able to play with Avenged Sevenfold, one of the biggest metal bands out there. He said, "..Instead of sleeping in a van I'm not sleeping in a massive bus!" and also, "There have been times when I’ve tried to help the crew set everything up, and they’re like, ’What the fuck are you doing out here?!’ I’m not used to being ‘the talent’"

  I think Arin is a great person to have in the band, he's young and he has experience and he's just an amazing drummer. To be able to fill the shoes of Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan has to be hard, but he is doing such a great job. Avenged Sevenfold couldn't have picked anyone better.

Matt (left) and Arin (right)

Rockstar Uproar Fest 9/13/13

  On September 13 I went to the Rockstar Uproar Fest and go to see The Dead Daisies, The Walking Papers, Circa Survive, Coheed and Cambria, Janes Addiction and Alice in Chains!

  I first got there and the Dead Daisies were already playing and they sounded amazing, I only got to hear about 2 songs but I really liked them and I even got to meet them afterwards at the signing and they were really nice guys. I got an autographed poster and a huge plastic banner with there name on it. The banner was just zip tied onto the little metal gates, so I just ripped it off and took it.

  The next band was The Walking Papers and the lead singers voice was so amazing! I loved they way they sounded, and I got to listen to their whole set. At one point the lead singer jumped down into the crowd and was singing and giving people high fives and it was really cool! They also did a signing and I got lucky and ended up finding one of their posters on the ground and when I was in line their manager told me that whoever got one of the Walking Papers posters was lucky because they went by fast when they were handing them out. I also bought their CD in line while waiting and got a picture with Jeff!

Half of the Walking Papers and I

Jeff Angell of Walking Papers

  After the Walking Papers finished, you could head down to the second half of the amphitheater to see the more famous bands and they also had more stands to buy merch and one of the tents there was an Avenged Sevenfold tent where they were handing out posters of the Hail to the King tour so I got one of course and then you had to walk up this huge hill to get to the main stage.

Avenged Sevenfold tent

  When I got to the main stage, Circe Survive was playing and I never heard them before but hearing them in concert and seeing them perform was still an awesome experience because they're a great band! I could understand them and you could hear the meaning behind there songs it was great. You could tell a lot of people at the concert were huge fans of them because you could hear them singing along and it was just great! 

Circa Survive

  After Circa Survive, Coheed and Cambria played and I had heard of them before and I really like there songs so being able to see them in concert was a real joy. All the people in the very front of the stage just kept piling up when Coheed and Cambria started playing and they were so good! They sound exactly how they sound on CD's which most bands dont anymore. Theyre really an awesome band!

This is a terrible picture but it's Coheed and
Cambria.

  Then Janes Addiction came on and there performance was amazing! Most people know that Perry Farrell's wife performs on stage with them and it was her and 3 other girls, 2 on stage at a time. At one point two of the girls were hanging by hooks in there backs, swinging around above the stage, it was awesome. Of course they played Been Caught Stealing, it was one of the first songs they played and I was really hoping they would play Jane Says, but they didn't. It was cool though because Dave Navarro played with them and the whole band except Perry went up to the front of the stage and started playing these big bongo drums and it sounded so cool!

  Then the final band came on, Alice in Chains and they are so awesome to see in concert! They had at least 8 screens behind them and the pictures and little videos they showed were awesome and really added to the concert. It's crazy how William DuVall, there current lead singer sounds exactly like Layne Staley, it's almost weird how they sound so much alike. Alice in Chains is one of my favorite bands so being able to see them in concert was amazing but I think it would have been amazing for anyone to see them. They put on a great show along with all the other bands that night.

 

Born Of The Jackal

  Born Of The Jackal is Gibbzy on vocals, Jack on bass, James and Stephan on guitar, and John on drums. They formed in August of last year, they are from Exeter in the U.K. They want to bring back real metal like their influences (Testament, Metallica, Lamb Of God and Devildriver) had done before them.
  Judging from their song Hellbent on Revenge, you can tell they are heavy metal and very talented! Their one of the bands you can feel the love they have for music and what they do when you listen to them. It's not some thrown together song with some lyrics that they made up so they can get famous, the song is very well put together and if you listen to each instrument individually, you can tell that they all have talent. How the song starts off really grabs your attention and if you like heavy metal, you'll fall in love with them right away!
  This band wants to bring back real metal, and I believe they can without a struggle!
  Check them out here, https://www.facebook.com/Bornofjackal/app_178091127385 and give them a like!

From Ashes To New

  From Ashes to New is a rap-rock band from Pennsylvania with Matt Brandyberry on vocals, Chris Musser also on vocals, Dan Kecki on guitar, and Jon-Mikel Valudes on drums. Matt and Dan were both originally from Twelve After, and Matt left Twelve After to a different direction he was more comfortable with and Chris ended up joining him not too long afterwards. Shortly after that, Dan and John-Mikel joined in with them. From Ashes to New was formed just earlier this year.
  From Ashes to New kind of have a Hollywood Undead sound to them with the rapping, but they also have a Linkin Park sound. They're really good, and everything comes together so smoothly. My favorite song from them would have to be Destruction of Myself. The lyrics are really meaningful and really relateable. All of their songs are relateable and have this sound to them to where you can just fall in love with them so easily. They can deffinitely get far in the music industry. I know how much talent Matt and Dan have beause I also listened to Twelve After but this band as a whole is incredible, they have a lot of talent.
  You can check them out on youtube here, http://www.youtube.com/user/FromAshesToNew
  And give them a like here, https://www.facebook.com/FromAshesToNew

Decadence in Decay

  Decadence in Decay is a metal band formed in 2010 from Colorado, made up of Matt Fiddler on lead vocals, Justin Carbone on guitar, Scott Cargile on keyboards, guitar and vocals, Zane Coppedge on Bass and Tyler Kragenbrink on drums. They started off as What's Been Used but decided to change to Decadence in Decay when a former member Cody had to take off because of the birth of his child (Congratulations!) and Matt took over with lead vocals. Just before this, Justin had joined as guitarist leading to a whole new image for the band.
  From what I've heard the'yre pretty famous in Colorado and have played some shows and by the sounds of their music, they all have real talent and are really amazing! In their song Manslaughter, I think the drummer, Tyler, kind of sounds like The Rev from Avenged Sevenfold back in their heavier days. I really have a thing for bass, so if you actually listen for it, it sounds amazing. It makes me want to head-bang and just go crazy, which is awesome Everything each of them do sounds amazing and it all fits together. Both songs on their facebook page are live recordings so you know they have actual talent and that's always a good thing!
  I know that once this band get's signed they will be famous in no time. We need a good metal band to listen to because there just isn't very many of them.
 You can check them out here at https://www.facebook.com/DecadenceInDecay

Decadence in Decay

The end of My Chemical Romance

  So on March 22, My Chemical Romance announced that they were breaking up after just 12 years. It didn't explain why, they just wrote a little paragraph saying that it was the end for them.
  Most fans were not happy about it at all, a lot of them actually used some really harsh words towards My Chemical Romance just because in previous concerts they announced they'd never break up. I don't think that most of the people giving My Chemical Romance hate realize that things happen and everyone in MCR has a life other than just touring and writing songs.
  The other fans, who weren't hating, did say how respectful they were of the band and how no matter what, MCR would still be their favorite band.
  I think it's best just to realize everything comes to an end eventually, even your favorite band.

Bring me the Horizon

  Bring me the Horizon is from Sheffield, Yorkshire. They are a Brittish metalcore band formed in 2004. Bring me the Horizon is, Oliver Sykes as lead singer, Lee Malia as lead guitarist, Matt Kean as bassist, and Matt Nicholls as drummer and Jordan Fish as keyboardist.
  They currently have four albums already realeased and one they are coming out with on April 29, 2013 called, Sempiternal. Their first album, Count Your Blessings, was released on October 30, 2006. Then in 2008, thier album, Suicide Season was released and Suicide Season: Cut up! was released a year later. The last album, There is a hell, believe me I've seen it. There is a heaven, let's keep it a secret, which was released in October 4, 2010.
  The single, Shadow Moses has been released in January, and a lot of people seem to like it. I watched an interview with lead singer, Oli Sykes, and he said he was really stoked for this album and he's more confident with this album than any of BMTH's other albums. He said, in the past he would always second guess himself with the songs and albums, but he feels this one is perfect.
  Bring me the Horizon has been influenced by emo, death metal, and grind core, with bands like, The Dillenger Escape Plan, Everytime I die, and Poisen the Well. The more they started making music the more their influence started to change to some heavy metal bands like, At The Gates, Pantera, Orange Goblin and some progressive rock bands like, Pink Floyd, and Dire Straits.
  This year already, Jona Weinhofen, ex rythm guitarist and backing vocalist for Bring me the Horizon left for unknown reasons. No one released why he left or who's idea it was because they didn't want drama, but he didn't even say if he left on good terms or not, but he is still with his other band, I Killed the Prom Queen.
  Bring me the Horizon got their name from the last line of the movie Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl, when Jack Sparrow says, "Now bring me that horizon.". Also, Oli sykes his own clothing line called Drop Dead Clothing.
http://iheartdropdead.com/

(Older) Bring me the Horizon, back when Jona Weinhofen was still in the band.