World Audience

The members of Avenged Sevenfold were well into work on the album of their lives. Then, in an instant, their lives changed. The Rev had died. They hadn’t just lost their drummer. They’d lost a family member – a guy who was best friends with vocalist M. Shadows since second grade in the Orange County town of Huntington Beach, and with guitarist Synyster Gates since fifth grade. The Rev had established himself as one of the most astounding, musical drummers in rock. He was beloved not only by the band, but by their extended family that includes the fans, from the first few locals when Avenged Sevenfold started out more than a decade ago, to the millions who now cherish their albums and have seen their unforgettable concerts worldwide.

Nightmare, the album the band was working on when Jimmy Sullivan died in late December, was already shaping up to be a dark masterpiece, a concept album tracing a journey of madness, despair, and, yes, death. The songs forged all of what Avenged Sevenfold had done before into a visionary prism bringing out new range on one hand and a focused intensity on the other. They already stood as a culmination of the journey from the indie metal-and-beyond 1999 debut Sound the Seventh Trumpet (recorded when the members were each just 18), through the constantly surprising, startlingly boundary-busting City of Evil (2005), and Avenged Sevenfold (2007), which turned these five friends into a global rock force, with all the power of what had become a concert powerhouse (as captured in the 2008 CD/DVD release Live in the LBC & Rough Diamonds). But now real life – and real loss — rendered that almost trivial. Even continuing work on the album seemed impossible, unimportant for Shadows, guitarists Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance, and bassist Johnny Christ.

“We were going to see if we could write another song or two,” says Shadows of the days following the Rev’s death. “And we couldn’t. We weren’t in the mood for it. Sitting there trying to figure out chord progressions and guitar parts felt ridiculous.”

But soon the band realized that it was impossible for them not to continue, that it would be almost a betrayal of the Rev’s legacy and their love for him.  He’d played an integral role in writing and crafting the tracks that had been demoed for the album. And just days before he died, he’d completed his ultimate accomplishment, baring his raw emotions in the song “Fiction” that now seemed to have foretold his own death and assured his friends in no uncertain terms that they had to carry on.

Most of the lyrics were rewritten, drummer Mike Portnoy (of the band Dream Theatre) was brought in to do the Rev’s in-theory inimitable parts, producer Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Eminem, Regina Spektor) stayed on to help everyone rise to the now-transcendent occasion. “Nightmare” (the first single), “Welcome To The Family,” “Buried Alive,” “God Hates Us,” “Victims,” the closing epic “Save Me” – songs completed before and after the tragedy – all plumbed new depths of emotion and meaning. Synyster Gates was moved to write lyrics for the first time, laying bare his grief on “So Far Away.” And Nightmare truly became the album of their lives, the album literally of the Rev’s life and an achievement for the ages documenting the most intense, personal experience these people could imagine.

“It’s about how we were feeling at the time and are still feeling,” Shadows says. “When it first happens it’s much more intense. I realize now that we’re going to have to live with it and it’s never going to go away. The record is a lot different than if we hadn’t opened ourselves up right when it happened. We were more vulnerable and willing to put it out on the line.”

Casino Gold were born with an enormous passion to create and, with a newly found interest in hard-hitting, in your face electronic music the two brothers life turned down a new and promising path. After just a short period, the two-headed techno/electro monster of Luke and Zack Matsuk quickly caught fire, showing an understanding in the complexity of creating music that moves a dance floor from wall-to-wall, all while gaining support from some of the industries most successful and respected artists.

The brothers’ sound is unique all on its own, reflecting years of experience touring and recording in metal/hardcore bands. Their sound can be described as “a heavy, deep techno sound with intense instrumental buildups, and acidifying frequencies, while still maintaining the structure you would find in rock or metal songs.”

As for what the future holds, while some would consider already playing internationally and releasing on some of the industries biggest labels a success after just over one short year, the boys see it as just the beginning.

Andrew Hill, aka Nostalgia, was born in Two Rivers, Wisconsin on Valentine’s day 1990. He lead a very musical life learning piano, guitar, drums, voice, and Irish penny whistle (believe the hype). After winning numerous music awards and releasing the “Dark and Light” album in high school, Nostalgia went on to continue his music education at McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, MN.

During his time at McNally, Nostalgia honed his mixing and production skills by getting in to the studio, recording bands, and mastering albums. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Production (December 2011), Nostalgia already established himself in the global music scene with several big releases. “Muse – Knights of Cydonia (Nostalgia Dubstep Remix)” was his breakout hit which scored over 2.6 million views on YouTube (video has been recently removed due to copyright violations). Bouncing off the success of that remix, Nostalgia worked with female dubstep duo Dirty Talk to win the “Vaski – Jelly” remix competition. Their remix got to #60 on the Beatport Electro charts but this was only the beginning of chart success for Nostalgia. With the newly made contacts at Play Me Records, specifically Reid Speed, Nostalgia released “The Hero EP” which featured an official music video by MotionGraff and quickly climbed the charts upon its release. “Serious Coin”, the B side of the release, got to #11 on the Beatport Dubstep top 100 chart while the title track got all the way to #3.

Recently, Nostalgia just released his collab LP with singer/songwriter Aami, “Nostalgia & Aami – The Outlaster LP”. This LP was intended to push boundaries and expand on the new sounds of dubstep. The Title track “Outlaster” is a fusion of rock and dubstep that breaks genre conventions while still remaining to be a dancefloor smasher. Five of the Seven tracks on the album charted on beatport and the LP overall reached #14 on the Beatport Top 100 Dubstep Releases chart.

In the time of about a year, Nostalgia went from unknown to consistent headliner and has played shows in Minneapolis, Madison, Providence, Saint Louis, Chicago, and many more. A true producer AND dj, Nostalgia brings his absolute best to production and his live show wowing audiences coast to coast.

Hedonism, Debauchery, Excess – Las Vegas and rock and roll are infamous for all three. Now, the inaugural 48 Hours Festival powered by Rockstar Energy Drink will give music fans the opportunity to indulge like never before!

The world’s biggest rock and roll party weekend, live from the Las Vegas strip, 48 Hours Festival is the premier 2-day over-the-top destination music festival.

BLACK BOOTS co-conspirators Pedi Amiri (a.k.a. Lightknife) and Mikey Francis (formally of Afghan Raiders) first joined forces in the summer of 2011 in a small apartment in the heart of Las Vegas. What started as a simple idea has rapidly evolved into a large-scale effort to give the emerging electronic dance music scene something different—timeless songs with substance, purpose and emotion.

“Signing with Ultra made the most sense for us,” says BLACK BOOTS. “It’s a big label with an independent spirit that gives us the opportunity to expose our music and vision to the world without compromising our art.”

What sets BLACK BOOTS apart in today’s electronic music world is their intricate backstory and vision. Imagine a dystopian landscape void of freedom. You can’t say what you want. You can’t emote how you want. You can’t listen to the music you choose. It’s an alternate reality ruled by an oppressive government clad in white uniforms and dominating with an iron fist. However, there is a symbol of hope on the horizon.

Enter two musical rebels known only as BLACK BOOTS. They are here for one reason alone, and that is to carry their message to the masses. They come armed with explosive big room anthems, punk rock attitude, orchestral breakdowns and massive pop melodies. They deliver an unforgettable performance. They offer an escape. With revolution in their hearts and on their minds, they’re about to stomp right through modern electronic dance music.

“We’re building a bridge here,” declares Lightknife. “BLACK BOOTS has got an electronic body, but a rock ‘n’ roll soul. At the same time, the songwriting is genuine and organic. It’s written with feeling.”

“BLACK BOOTS encourages chaos, sexuality, expression, and independence,” affirms Lightknife. “We’re freedom, and we’re lawless.” On the topic of electronic music, he states, “It’s not coincidental that dance music has risen to its current point of success. In times like this, people turn to the things that allow them to lose themselves. We aim to fuel that sentiment.”

Live, they certainly do. In fact, the onstage experience reflects the larger-than-life story at the core of the music as Mikeysings his heart out and Lightknife orchestrates the production in real-time via midi controllers, sequencers and synthesizers. Mikey elaborates, “We want people to tap back into their primal selves and experience something organic and real. If people walk away from our show with an experience, they’ll remember it for the rest of their lives.”

Ultimately, BLACK BOOTS are fostering a connection that is as timeless as it is innovative, and this is only the beginning of their story. “We want everyone to walk away with something that affects them emotionally,” the two architects agree. It’s romantic. It’s dangerous. It’s energetic. It’s new.

It’s BLACK BOOTS.