By the middle of 2012, Soundgarden fans had much to celebrate. Not only had the reformed band played a few festival shows and proved they sounded as good as ever, but there was also a new album on the horizon. Although nearing the end of the previous year Chris Cornell had suggested that the new album would appear in the spring, by June 2012 no release date had been set.

Fans had, however, already been given a taste of what to expect with the new single and video for ‘Live To Rise’ from the ‘Avengers Assemble’ soundtrack and hopes were set high. Strange, then, that for their seventy minute appearance at Germany’s Rock Am Ring Festival, the band chose not to play the track or, indeed, any of their upcoming material.

While it could be argued their Rock Am Ring set is a little unbalanced in places (let’s be honest, ‘Down On The Upside’ is hugely under represented and ‘Beyond The Wheel’ isn’t really an appropriate finishing statement!), the thirteen song set explores back catalogue in a more than appropriate manner, even finding time for a couple of earlier relative obscurities for the hardcore fan.

Below, you can watch the complete set, professionally shot for a German broadcast. Some consolation for those outside Germany and for those Germans who were not present on the night.

As the centre piece for their 2012 festival shows, metal titans Metallica have chosen to play their multi-million selling 1991 self-titled release in it’s entirity.  The fact that ‘the black album’ is now twenty-one years old is enough to make many self-respecting rock fan feel the pangs of age, but the album itself has weathered the years rather well.

Such a revisitation of the past is surely interesting for Metallica too.  The album features material which has been absent from the live sets for some time, or in some cases – ‘The Struggle Within’ and ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ – has never been played live before.

With a selection of successful ‘black album’ shows already under their belts, on June 2nd 2012, Metallica took the stage in Germany at the Rock Am Ring Festival for another tour-de-force two hour set.

The complete performance can be seen below.  As a bonus, we’ve also included an embedded link to Metallica‘s headline slot at Rock Am Ring in 2008.  Enjoy!

Following the tragic murder of Dimebag Darrell, nothing will ever bring back Pantera, but the first half of 2012 saw a resonably full calendar for the other band members:

Pantera’s classic, career-defining release, ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ was given an expanded 20th anniversary reissue; Philip Anselmo has been touring with his band Down with new material is very much in the offing; as part of Kill Devil Hill, bassist Rex Brown toured Europe and shared a stage with Mike Portnoy’s Adrenalin Mob.

2012 presented an equally full calendar for ex-Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, too.  His band Hellyeah, devoted time to recording their third album and playing live shows.  Just prior to the release of that third release, ‘Band of Brothers’, Hellyeah appeared at the Rocklahoma Festival, where they performed a forty minute set.

Professionally filmed footage of their entire performance can be seen below.

Florence + The Machine’s debut album ‘Lungs’ is wonderful. The record company promotion of it, less so – to get all of the bonus tracks required purchasing no fewer than three different releases – but the original thirteen songs represent a terrific release nonetheless. By the time ‘Lungs’ appeared in it’s third special edition, it had to be asked, was this just sheer record company greed, knowing a cash-cow when they saw one, or were the record executives genuinely worried that Florence couldn’t deliver a second time?

Although it seemed unlikely, the follow-up release, 2011’s ‘Ceremonials’ really upped the ante, taking everything that was enjoyable about ‘Lungs’ and polishing it up farther. Making “that difficult second album” seem easy, ‘Ceremonials’ had a greater focus on bigger musical arrangements, while the songs themselves offered just as many hooks. Any fears of a second album disappointment soon vanished after hearing the first tracks to appear ahead of release.

Here – as posted on YouTube – is an all too brief snapshot of everything that’s been great about Florence Welch’s first few years as one of the bright lights on an often dull UK mainstream music chart: a complete half-hour performance filmed for BBC Radio 1’s ‘Live Lounge’.

Sit back and enjoy some fabulous tunes.

In 2010, glam metal legends Ratt released ‘Infestation’ via Frontiers Records. With Stephen Pearcy in his rightful place as frontman, the album was well received by fans an critics alike. Ratt scheduled UK gigs in support of the album, with a slot at the Download Festival that year, but pulled out at the last moment after Pearcy was taken ill.

In January 2012, the band announced they were beginning work on a new album. In May 2012, Ratt appeared at the M3 Festival in the US. The show marked the first live appearance of prodigal bassist Juan Croucier, last seen in the Ratt line-up in 1991.

Professionally filmed footage of Ratt’s complete performance can be seen below.

Setlist:
Dangerous But Worth The Risk
Scene of the Crime
In Your Direction
Wanted Man
I’m Insane
Lay It Down
Lack of Communication
Way Cool Jr.
You Think You’re Tough
Nobody Rides For Free
Body Talk
Back For More
You’re In Love
Round and Round