The mighty Fear Factory, who released what we consider to be the album of the year with "Mechanized", were forced to postpone their short stretch of shows here in the United States due to a family emergency. The tour was suppose to start today and end on January 8th.
Fear Factory had a bittersweet year in 2010: Earlier this year they toured with Metallica in Australia, New Zealand and Japan (SWEET); at the end of their UK tour their bus caught fire (BITTER). Stay tuned for more news about Fear Factory!
In case you were planning on catching this tour, the best we can do to cheer you up, is to share with you some live footage we took of the band earlier this year! \m/
Horns Up Rocks wants to wish every single one of you: HEAVY HOLIDAYS and a METALLIC 2011! Thanks so much for your support, and rest assured that will keep the HORNS way UP in 2011! Please be safe, because we need every single one of you to keep the Heavy Music Army growing and becoming STRONGER THAN ALL!
We decided to take a look at all the memories that we lived throughout 2010, and give you our beloved fans, the ultimate Top 10! Starting today, we will post one memory a day! The best memory of 2010 will be posted on New Years Day (December 31st)!
\m/ NUMBER 10: THE HIXON Chronicles - On August 27th, Horns Up Rocks and Jefferson Avenue Productions brought the annual Hixonfest to the Ace of Clubs bar in New York City. The event featured live music by Lies Beneath, Canons, S.W.A.K., female Judas Priest tribute band Judas Priestess, and New Jersey's Thrash Metal titans The Hixon. Additionally, the event was hosted by Richard Christy from the Howard Stern Show and Charred Walls of the Damned. The event also featured a sexy model search hosted by Crown Ink Divas CEO Frankie Scorpion.
Before the event, and before we all started our drink-a-thon, Horns Up Rocks founder Jo Schuftan interviewed The Hixon. Here is what went down:
\m/ NUMBER 9: METAL meets COMEDY (with Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine of VH1 Classic's THAT METAL SHOW) - When it comes to mixing Heavy Metal and Comedy, there are very few people that can blend them together like Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine do. You may be familiar with this two maniacs, from VH1 Classic's That Metal Show, or from the infamous "Terrorizing Tele-marketers CD's. You may also know them from Comedy Central's Crankyankers and Meet the Creeps, or maybe from a Heavy Metal concert. Regardless of where you know them from, what this two man have achieved in their careers, is truly admirable! We had the chance to interview both of them together, and somehow managed to keep them somewhat controlled! Check it out:
\m/ NUMBER 8: SLAYER, MEGADETH & ANTHRAX @ American Carnage 2 - On Friday October 8th, we headed to the Nassau Vetarans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island to experience one of the best tours in Heavy Metal history. Which tour are we talking about? The second leg of the American Carnage tour, sponsored by Jägermeister Music, which features Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax.
We arrived at the venue around 4 o'clock, and immediately headed to lot 6 (pretty appropriate) for Jo Schuftan's (founder of Horns Up Rocks) tailgate birthday party! As soon as we arrived to lot 6, Heavy Metal was blasting from every car in the parking lot! It was heaven for any Metal head and hell for everyone else. Check out the videos we captured!
\m/ NUMBER 7:At the 2010 Hixonfest, the Judas Priestess played a furious set right after New Jersey's Metaleros The Hixon almost burned the house down. The all female Judas Priest tribute band puts the pedal to the Metal, and they do it from start to finish. Judas Priestess deliver a vulgar display of adrenaline, that can be addictive. Not only can they make the dudes headbang out of control, they also get the chicks to shake their booties lambada style. When the Judas Priestess ladies rock the hell out of the stage, nobody is safe. Here is the interview that METAL LOVE did with the ladies of Judas Priestess! This became an instant hit and was published on BLABBERMOUTH! \m/
\m/ NUMBER 666: New Orleans has always been known for its influence in music and its multilingual cross-cultural heritage. This ever-changing region of the United States gave birth to Jazz music, and is universally known for its cuisine. Recently they became known for their NFL football team, thanks to the New Orleans Saints victory over the Indianapolis Colts at this years Super Bowl in Miami. What does all this have to do with Heavy Music? Well, NOLA is the birthplace of some of the best bands in the country! This year we produced a lot of legendary interview videos, but two interviews that we are very proud of are the ones with Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down, Kingdom of Sorrow), and Ben Falgoust (Goatwhore, Soilent Green). Check this two jewels out:
\m/ NUMBER 5: Eugene Victor Hoglan II, known by many of you as Gene Hoglan or "The Atomic Clock", is one of the best drummers in the world. During his 26 year career he has played in bands such as Strapping Young Lad, Testament, Dark Angel, War God and Dethklok. When I heard that he was joining the mighty Fear Factory, my heart started beating at triple the tempo. I started envisioning what the new generation of Fear Factory would sound like. The results blew my mind when I heard their latest album titled "Mechanized". Here is our interview with Gene Hoglan (featured on Blabbermouth), as well as some live footage of Fear Factory!
\m/ NUMBER 4: As we all know, Ronnie James Dio passed away earlier this year after losing his battle to stomach cancer. A few weeks before his passing, Ronnie made his way to Los Angeles from a cancer clinic in Texas, for the Revolver Golden Gods Awards. To me this is very inspiring and proofs the power behind Heavy Music. Ronnie James Dio will always be remembered as a true warrior!
We had a chance to talk to Jose Mangin (Sirius XM Liquid Metal & MTV Headbangers Ball), Don Jamieson (That Metal Show), Brandon Geist (Revolver Magazine), and even Alex Skolnick (Testament) about the legacy of Ronnie James Dio which Corey. All of them tell us their "behind the scenes" stories involving Ronnie James Dio. Check it out!
\m/ NUMBER 3: "When I think about what brought me to New York, the first thing that comes to my mind is New York Hard Core. Growing up in Colombia in the mid 90's, back when Pablo Escobar and crew controlled the country through acts of violence. I experienced lots of hardship by watching my own country, become the country of fear. I was around 15 years old when I first heard downset, I know downset are from LA but once I was hooked on the Hard Core movement, I started to listen to New York Hard Core through bands like Sick Of It All, Madball, Agnostic Front, Biohazard, Vision of Disorder and a whole bunch of other bands (mostly through mix tapes)." -Jo Schüftan (Founder of Horns Up Rocks)
Here are some legendary interviews I did this year with some of the biggest Hardcore artists:
\m/ NUMBER 2: "Ever since I became a diehard Pantera fan, I wanted to get a CFH (Cowboys From Hell) tattoo! Not only is Pantera my all time favorite band, but also a huge influence on who I am. Pantera defines what life is all about: Determination, Passion and making the best out of every single moment lived. With that said, when I went to the Philadelphia Tattoo Convention I knew I had to have an appointment with the needle and chinese ink. Now I am officially Scarred For Life and a Pantera fan until the day I die." -Jo Schuftan (Founder of Horns Up Rocks)
Apart from covering the CFH tattoo story, we also covered some awesome Pantera events, check this out:
\m/ NUMBER UNO: As we all know, the great Peter Steele from Type O Negative died on April 14, 2010 from heart failure. Peter will always be remembered as one of the most charismatic musicians in history. Together with his bands Type O Negative and Carnivore, he created a legacy that will never die! Fortunately, Peter will always live through his passionate music and if you ever had a chance to meet him or to see perform live, you know that he was a true legend.
This was the saddest and biggest story this year for Horns Up Rocks to cover. Pete ignited a flame that we will never let die! Here are some of the videos we produced in memory of Peter Steele, 'the giant man with a heart of gold!"
On Sunday July 25th, the legendary band Fear Factory brought their "Fear Campaign" tour to New York City's Irving Plaza. The bill also featured Alaska's 36 Crazyfists, After the Burial, Divine Heresy and Baptized in Blood. What we experienced was proof that the New York Heavy Music scene is standing strong. Before we entered the venue, we ran into Fear Factory's drummer Gene Hoglan. We chatted with him for a while about music, and he expressed his concern about illegal downloading. From what he told us, his new DVD "The Atomic Clock" was downloaded over 50,000 times since its release in June. That would make any artist who is constantly working on his craft, feel uneasy. Nevertheless, he signed some autographs, did some phone calls, smoked some cigarettes and was eagerly waiting for the time to get on stage and destroy.
After we parted ways with Hoglan, we arrived at Irving Plaza just in time for Divine Heresy. They delivered a vulgar display of punishing brutality. Dino's guitar work was on fire, and he definitely was not saving energy for his second set with Fear Factory. The rest of the band were as tight as a boxing glove. Following Divine Heresy was After the Burial, a band with Meshuggah like breakdowns that are well blended with brutal vocals. Then it was time for 36 Crazyfists, who definitely got the house warmed up for the mighty Fear Factory.
As soon as the lights went out the crowd started pacing around, as if a beast was about to be unveiled. Legendary drummer Gene Hoglan was the first one to come out and was very hard to miss. The man is a giant and watching him smash his drum kit is amazing. We still can't figure out how he does it. Once Hoglan sat behind his kit, bassist Byron Stroud took his spot, and then the crowd went nuts when guitarist Dino Cazares stepped on stage. Finally vocalist Burton C. Bell welcomed the crowd by saying: "New York City, we are Fear Factory and this is Mechanized"! From the second the band hit the first note, the kids went ape-shit. We started inside the pit and experienced some brotherly slam dancing through Shock, Edgecrusher and Smasher/Devourer, which are all tracks from their album Obsolete. Then we crowd surfed like very few know how to do and ended up on the side of the stage by Dino. It was surreal to be watch the band up-close and personal, and to hear how well crafted their music is.
They played an hour and twenty minutes set. During that time Fear Factory owned New York City, they definitely had the Metallic keys to the city that never stops rocking. They played classics like Replica, Demanufacture, Scapegoat, Martyr and they even played Hunter Killer, which was the highlight of the night. Before Fear Factory finished their set, they got a group picture with the entire venue and that is when the kids went the craziest! If the "Fear Campaign" tour comes to a city near you, don't be scared, Fear Factory will make sure you go home safe and sound. Perhaps with your ears bleeding, but you can't hold them responsible. You can only hold your love for Heavy Music responsible!
This sums the night up: "Headbangers come in all ages and races. We are always hungry for some aggressive music. The type of music that refreshes the spirit and washes out all the anger inside ones soul. For an outsider it seems like senseless noise, but for us the Heavy Music fans it is controlled chaos." -Jo Schüftan (Horns Up Rocks)
Eugene Victor Hoglan II, known by many of you as Gene Hoglan or "The Atomic Clock", is one of the best drummers in the world. During his 26 year career he has played in bands such as Strapping Young Lad, Testament, Dark Angel, War God and Dethklok. When I heard that he was joining the mighty Fear Factory, my heart started beating at triple the tempo. I started envisioning what the new generation of Fear Factory would sound like. The results blew my mind when I heard their latest album titled "Mechanized".
Whenever I blast an album through my ear buds, I immediately start wondering how those songs will transmit on a big stage. What I experienced at the Starland Ballroom on a perfect night, brought back memories of when I saw them for the first time at the Dynamo Festival in Holland. Simply put, Fear Factory crushed Sayreville, New Jersey and proved to me that they have reinvented themselves with "Mechanized".
On this phenomenal night, not only did I get to see one of my favorite bands live, but I also got to interview Gene Hoglan. Gene is a very genuine guy with a great sense of humor. He has the mentality of a child and is not afraid to be himself. And that to me is what being "Metal" is all about. As Pantera puts it on their legendary song Walk: be yourself, by yourself...
Given the fact that Gene is a very funny guy, Horns Up Rocks came up with this comical slide show, which also features the exclusive interview that Horns Up Rocks captured for all of you to enjoy. WARNING: If you take life too seriously, this video might offend you.
Make sure you catch Fear Factory on tour, they will not disappoint you! Here is a little taste of what you can expect.
The mighty Fear Factory, who released what we consider to be the album of the year with "Mechanized", were forced to postpone their short stretch of shows here in the United States due to a family emergency. The tour was suppose to start today and end on January 8th. 
