last two years on the road, performing to sold-out arenas, but is now back with the follow-up to the its massive debut. Leave This Town will be available on July 14, 2009, and was produced by Howard Benson.  (less)

and produced by Rodrigo y Gabriela, with John Leckie co-producing one of the tracks. The album was mixed in Wales and London by Colin Richardson, best known for his work with Slipknot and Trivium. Comprising 11 new original compositions, 11:11 is the band s personal Gracias to 11 musicians, both past and present, who have inspired them along the way. Alex Skolnick of metal gods Testament guests on the album, as do widely respected acoustic veterans Strunz & Farah. If their self-titled debut was a successful attempt at capturing the unbridled dynamic energy of their incendiary gigs (mostly recorded live in the studio, with very few overdubs); then the new album sees them developing their core sound into something more sophisticated, intric...  (less)

anthems like the first single 'Head Crusher' as well as the politically charged title track.  (less)

of place on a Guitar Hero soundtrack. Of the album, frontman Brent Smith says "In the seven years of this thing called Shinedown, I’ve seen a lot of different things - what we’ve all gone through on the road, things in our personal lives or witnessed firsthand through the fans that we’ve made and the relationships we’ve built with our audience. I think the biggest thing was I didn’t want to sugarcoat the way life can be sometimes." Their face-melting rock comes as no surprise, considering that the band hails from sultry Jacksonville, Florida. Their 2003 debut album, Leave A Whisper , and sophomore follow-up, Us And Them , have been RIAA-certified platinum and gold respectively and they have had songs featured on the WWE, ESPN and in va...  (less)

in Ixtapa where we lived for a while". Tamacun -"Tamacun's message is to teach kids to respect nature." He handles crocodiles, and tourists come to photograph him. Diablo Rojo - Inspired by a wild rollercoaster called 'Red Devil' at a theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Three rides in a row, each. Viking Man - Another Danish inspired piece. The Viking Man was a homeless guy who encouraged Rod & Gab to tough it out on the streets, busking in minus zero conditions at Christmastime. John Leckie adds radio static. Satori - Experiencing self doubt shortly after arriving in Ireland, Rodrigo y Gabriela were at a low ebb. No money, poor English and a deep sense of uncertainty. Only an unshakeable faith in perseverance kept them goin...  (less)

Bice in season four--stormed the stage with more raw talent. That it translates so well to a solo disc ( Daughtry was recorded with studio musicians; future discs will include a Daughtry-assembled band) proves all he needed was a little prodding, the kind the tube has gotten so good at. Here are a dozen songs that'll flick your rock & roll switch, whether you're a Creed fan, a club kid, or a mambo king: "Used To" and "Over You," a couple of early tracks, ought to arrive bundled with a road map they're so highway sing-along-ready, and "Feels Like Tonight" screws the lid on the premise that Daughtry can deliver a punchy pop-rock song without flinching. Elsewhere, the North Carolina family man lets his inner (and outer, actually) goat...  (less)

their own brand of Southern Rock with touches of Garage, Punk and Alternative swagger. RCA.  (less)

in Jacksonville, Florida. With the release of God & Guns, Lynyrd Skynyrd are poised to transcend all genres and appeal to many generations of music fans.  (less)

Have Become', 'Pain', and 'Never Too Late'. BMG. 2007.  (less)