Anne Erickson holds bylines in several Gannett publications as well as Ultimate Classic Rock, Gibson Guitar, Premier Guitar, Guitar Edge and beyond. She's also a radio DJ and is currently working on-air on Townsquare Media rock station Banana 101.5-FM and is the programmer and managing editor of Audio Ink Radio. She holds a master’s degree from Michigan State University. Interview highlights: Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins, Ozzy Osbourne, Maynard James Keenan from Tool and A Perfect Circle, Alice Cooper, Skillet, RED, As I Lay Dying, Cake.
Anne Erickson
Arch Enemy Guitarist Prides Himself on Preparedness
Female-fronted metal mainstays Arch Enemy don’t hold back when it comes to their pummeling, relentless songs. That edge really comes out on the band’s latest album, ‘Khaos Legions,’ and guitarist Michael Amott says creating all that brutal music takes a lot of planning and hard work.
Stellar Revival, ‘The Crazy Ones’ – Song Review
The musicians of Stellar Revival stake their claim amongst the “crazy ones,” so it’s appropriate that their debut single is called just that; ‘The Crazy Ones.’ At the heart of this Southern Florida band is a no-rules, living-outside-the-box mentality -- and that passion for all things wild comes out on ‘The Crazy Ones,’ which is set to arrive on ‘Love, Lust, and Bad Company,’ in stores June 19.
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Corrosion of Conformity Guitarist: We Never Make Pre-Conceived Music
Listening to the band's latest, unmistakably brutal self-titled album, it’s obvious the guys are Corrosion of Conformity -- but it certainly doesn’t sound like their past work. As it turns out, guitarist Woody Weatherman says the band were completely spontaneous when recording, and what came out was a set of songs that fits into the next generation of Corrosion of Conformity’s sound.
Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia Talks Social Networking, ‘Dark Legacy’ Tour
Lacuna Coil are big into Social Networking, but it’s not all about getting publicity. As frontwoman Cristina Scabbia explains, the Italian heavy metal group love connecting with fans over Facebook and Twitter, and it enables them to take listeners inside the Lacuna Coil camp and show fans what they’d likely never see onstage.
The Veer Union, ‘Divide the Blackened Sky’ – Album Review
In over eight years of heavy-duty rocking, the Veer Union have mastered the technique of creating songs that are brutally extreme yet strikingly melodic. Along those lines, the band’s fourth album, ‘Divide the Blackened Sky,’ is jam-packed with a blend of teeth-grating rhythms and commercial melodies that are heavy enough to appeal to the hard rock fan while rarely too vicious or overindulgent.
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Shinedown, ‘Amaryllis’ – Album Review
From the opening assault of 'Adrenaline' to the final, fluid notes of 'Through the Ghost,' Shinedown’s latest album, 'Amaryllis,' is a vigorous, empowering, never-stopping set of rock tracks that hits you fast and hard. That’s a good thing, since Shinedown’s legacy is built on such aggressive-yet-cathartic sounds, all held in place by singer Brent Smith’s thick, soul-soaked vocals and pensive lyri
Adelitas Way Gave Out 10,000 Demos in Early Days
Las Vegas hard rockers Adelitas Way know how to make a rock hit. Just look at the band’s lengthy list of chart-topping songs, from 'Sick' to 'The Collapse' to 'Invincible.' The band is set to play the 2012 Avalanche Tour, which kicks off this Tuesday (March 27) in Anaheim, Calif., and singer Rick DeJesus says playing the tour alongside Shinedown, New Medicine and Art of Dying is a sign that the ba
Korn Were ‘Willing to Hear New Ideas’ on ‘Path of Totality’
Alternative metal bigwigs Korn are taking their heavy sounds to Europe right now, before they head back to the States to kick off the second leg of their massively successful The Path of Totality tour. While playing a gig in Italy, guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer offered up some thoughts about the band's current full-length, 'The Path of Totality,' and how the band took chances on this s
Nonpoint Finish Recording New Album
It’s almost here! Florida metallers Nonpoint have wrapped on their record sessions for the band's yet untitled seventh studio album, with the array of heavy sounds currently being mixed.
Hatebreed Start Pre-Production on New Album
Connecticut metallers Hatebreed have started pre-production on their next studio album, and band members promise it’s going to entail lots of speed and force and little for the faint of heart.