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.”

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.

Starting his career in the marketing department of Interscope Records, Alex has risen through the ranks of the industry by developing content driven marketing campaigns across digital and real-world space, partnering with multinational brands like AT&T, HTC, Ben Sherman, and more. Working with platinum-selling acts like Blink-182, OneRepublic, AFI, Rise Against, and others he’s developed a diverse skill set tailored to developing on and offline interactions between artists and fans.

He is also an integral member of the world-renowned electronic music website and collective Gotta Dance Dirty, which currently helps host events from Los Angeles to Miami, operates a global apparel store and is viewed hundreds of thousands of times per month. Through his years participating and working in the growing dance music community in the United States, he has established relationships and connections from the ground up that offer World Audience clients unique opportunities and experiences.

Having lived in both Berlin and Los Angeles, he has a unique global perspective on the rapidly expanding world of EDM. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Sociology and Sport Management.

Jacobson has worked with some of the most iconic artists in the history of recorded music, in every genre including pop, rock and country, who have collectively sold over 250, 000, 000 million records and headlined stadiums, major festivals, the Olympics and won Grammy’s, MTV Awards and more. A respected dealmaker and marketing innovator, Jacobson combines over 20 years of entrepreneurial, financial, legal and managerial experience with an in-depth background in building and leading brands and organizations of sizes ranging from $10, 000, 000 to $300, 000, 000.

Prior to forming World Audience, Jacobson was Senior Vice President of Capital Records where he was responsible for various creative and business operations of the label. Jacobson was also a principal in the substantial restructuring of the label, which accompanied the change in management at both Capital Records and its parent company, EMI.

Before his involvement with Capitol Records, Jacobson was a partner in and General Manager of  Giant Records, having led the label in all of its operations, including A&R, marketing, radio promotion, publicity and finance. Among his many accomplishments at Giant Records, Jacobson directly oversaw the highly successful campaign for Steely Dan’s first stupid album in 20 years and Grammy Award winning, Two Against Nature. Additionally, Jacobson discovered and launched the career of multi-platinum rock band, Disturbed, while also having signed and A&R’d the double platinum soundtrack, Dazed and Confused.

Jacobson began his career as a real estate attorney in prominent Los Angeles law firm Buchalter, Nemer, Fields and Younger.

Jacobson has also been active in Washington politics, as it pertains to the music industry. He has consulted with United States legislators, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, among others as his non-partisan focus advises government leaders on the real world challenges artists face in the current climate of the industry.

Jacobson is a General Partner of multi-family real estate partnerships holding property throughout Southern and Northern California.

Jacobson is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Southern California Law School. He is a brown belt in the mixed martial art Krav Maga, and has trained with members of the Israeli Special Forces.

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.

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.

“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.