Title	Rock Band 3
Developer	Harmonix, Backbone Entertainment (Wii/DS)
Publisher	MTV Games, Mad Catz
Distributor	Electronic Arts, Mad Catz
Designer	Dan Teasdale, Sylvain Dubrofsky, Brian Chan, Casey Malone
Series	''Rock Band''
Released	|AUSOctober 28, 2010|EUOctober 29, 2010}}

|genre=Music video game |modes=Single-player, multiplayer |ratings= |platforms=Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS |media = DVD (Xbox 360), Blu-ray Disc (PS3), Wii Optical Disc (Wii), game cartridge (DS) }}

''Rock Band 3'' is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. and is the third main game in the ''Rock Band'' series. As with the previous titles, ''Rock Band 3'' allows players to simulate the playing of rock music and many other subgenres using special instrument controllers mimicking lead and bass guitar, drums, and vocals. ''Rock Band 3'' expands upon previous games by including three-part vocal harmonies—previously used in ''The Beatles: Rock Band'' and ''Green Day: Rock Band''—and support for a keyboard instrument, a MIDI-compatible 25-key unit.

''Rock Band 3'' features a new "Pro" mode, which is designed as a learning tool to accurately mimic playing of real instruments. In Pro mode, guitar and bass players have to match specific fingering on frets and strings, drummers have to strike cymbal pads in addition to snare and toms, and keyboardists have to use precise fingering across the whole keyboard. MadCatz and Fender are manufacturing controllers and add-ons to support Pro mode.

The game includes a list of 83 songs, many selected to emphasize the keyboard instrument. Existing game content, including prior downloadable content and songs from the Rock Band Network, carry forward into the game, with the full ''Rock Band'' library reaching 2,000 songs by the end of October 2010. ''Rock Band 3'' is designed to take advantage of players' existing libraries by providing user-created set lists and challenges and tools to easily search and select songs from the library.

''Rock Band 3'' was released worldwide during the last week of October 2010 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Nintendo DS. The game received universal acclaim from critics, with praise for the addition of keyboards that broadens the potential music library for the series and the revamped career structure to keep players invested in the title. The game's Pro mode was particularly highlighted by reviewers, who stated that the mode brings the rhythm game genre closer to teaching players to learn real instruments, though at a large cost of entry.

Gameplay

''Rock Band 3'' allows for one to seven players, either locally or through online game services, to use various instrument controllers to simulate the playing of music. In addition to the four instruments from previous ''Rock Band'' games—lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals—''Rock Band 3'' adds support for two additional singers who can provide backup vocal harmonies (previously found in ''The Beatles: Rock Band'' and ''Green Day: Rock Band'') and it adds an electric keyboard as a new instrument.

Prior to a song, each band member selects from one of four difficulty levels, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert, which influence the number and rate that notes appear on the note track; they also can select the Pro mode for guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums. As the band performs, they score points. Each player can build up a multiplier by hitting consecutive notes correctly, which increases how many points each note is worth, but the multiplier is set back to 1× if a note is missed. After successfully completing a song, the performance of each player and the band as a whole is rated on a 5-star scale. The best performance by a player for each song in the player's library is tracked separately based on instrument, Pro mode, and difficulty, and is used to provide and compare leaderboard statistics.

The overall goal of the band is to successfully complete a song and earn as many points as possible by using their controllers to play the notes shown on the screen at the proper time; or, in the case of the vocalists, to sing in relative pitch to the original artist. Players can also gain additional points by using "Overdrive". Once a player has enough energy, which is collected by perfectly playing marked sections of the song, he or she can activate Overdrive to double the number of points the whole band earns while it is deployed. Each instrument deploys overdrive differently, and some instruments have multiple methods of activating it.

Unless the "no-fail" option is on, players who are doing poorly might drop out of the band, silencing their part. A dropped player can be saved up to two times by another player activating Overdrive; if the player is not saved soon enough, the whole band may fail the song and need to restart or exit to the song library. In some game modes, an option is also available to continue the song right from where the band failed.

Although ''Rock Band 3'''s gameplay in Basic mode is very similar to that of previous games in the series, it does introduce a new gameplay mechanic designed to make fast sections such as trills, tremolo picking, and drum rolls easier to play. In such sections, players are rewarded for being exactly on cue, but they are not penalized for small differences.

Song library and game modes

Players have better tools to sort through songs to help manage a song library that is expected to be larger than 2000 songs by the end of 2010. Sorting options include filters based on Pro mode support, keyboard or vocal harmony support, difficulty, genre, decade, numbers of times played, leaderboard positions, and when the player acquired the song; any numbers of these filters can be applied to fine-tune the sort, such as selecting all "moderate-difficulty metal songs from the '80s that support keys and harmony vocals". Players are able to rate songs from 1 to 5 "lighters" and use this as a sorting metric. The rating system also allows Harmonix to suggest new songs to players in the Rock Band store. Players are also able to create, save, name, and design art for custom set lists which they can share through the game's online services or through the ''Rock Band'' website. The "Battle of the Bands" mode featured in ''Rock Band 2'', in which Harmonix created daily and weekly themed challenges based on the library of songs, will extend into ''Rock Band 3'', but allowing players to create the challenges themselves from the within the game or the website, including the type of challenges, what instrument(s) it is aimed for, and how long to allow the battle to run, then advertise them through social media services like Twitter and Facebook. Harmonix will also continue to create custom setlists and battles. The official ''Rock Band'' website will be updated to reflect these new features, as well as allowing players to track their own bands or friends' bands.

The game features a more in-depth career mode; players are able to design more detailed characters, which appear nearly at all points alongside the narrative, making the game "one story of your band", according to Harmonix senior designer Dan Teasdale. The career mode includes over 700 career goals, similar to Xbox 360 Achievements or PlayStation 3 Trophies, to help continue to urge the players to progress in the game. "Road challenges" combine features of the Tour mode of ''Rock Band'' and ''Rock Band 2'' with ''Mario Party'' concepts, according to Teasdale, and is based on feedback from ''Rock Band'' players. For example, the band may be challenged to re-invigorate the virtual crowd using copious amounts of Overdrive after they were disappointed by an opening act, or in another challenge, the band will be required to play as accurately as possible for a crowd of critics. Numerous versions of these challenges are available, that vary in the amount of time to complete (from 30 minutes to 3 hours) and difficulty. Some of these challenges feature multiple gigs; after playing through one gig, the band is presented with three choices for songs to play at the next gig, either from pre-made set lists, customized set lists, or random selection from all available songs. With each song completed within a challenge, the players earn spades; one spade for each star based on the overall scoring, and additional spades for meeting the challenge goals. These challenges are tracks on the scoring leaderboards for the game.

The playing modes are wrapped in an "overshell", which allow players to sign in or out of game console profiles, manage players in the band, and jump in or out of the game with any available instrument at any point, including while playing a song. Players also will have the ability to pause the game and make changes in difficulty; when leaving the pause menu, the song rewinds a few seconds to allow all players to synchronize before the scoring restarts. Due to the limitations in the number of local players on some consoles, only four of the five parts (lead and bass guitar, drums, harmonized vocals, and keyboards) can be played in online and local career and competitive modes. The game provides the option of a local "All Instruments" quick play mode where all five parts are used allowing the full seven-member band to play; the vocals are not assigned to a console player but instead are based on the input (if present) from USB-connected microphones, and the vocal results are not scored along with the other playing members.

Custom character support

''Rock Band 3'' includes support for using pre-made and custom avatars to represent band members on stage during performances, as in previous ''Rock Band'' games. These avatars can include a variety of clothing styles, hair styles, accessories, makeup, and instruments to allow users to customize their performance. While custom characters have been a part of the ''Rock Band'' series from the start, Harmonix wants players to feel more connected with their characters and band within ''Rock Band 3''. Harmonix' Chris Foster stated that they realized the game is wish-fulfillment for most players in taking one's band through the rise of success, and structured a weak, non-presuming narrative to help guide this without forcing any particular aspect of the band's story. One aspect to connecting the player to their band was to constantly show the characters throughout all parts of the game screens, such as on the main menus, during song selection and loading screens, and during practice mode. Another approach was to allow more detailed customization tools to encourage the player to create themselves or other characters as they wanted in the game. They wanted to advance the looks of the avatar characters, making them like living dolls with near-realistic features but highly idealized visual elements, such as smooth skin and hair. This was achieved through the use of improved shaders that gave the appearance of realistic services but with ''Rock Band'' stylized art aesthetic. The team aimed to provide something that was in between the complex creation tool for ''Mass Effect'' and the simple set of tools for Miis. ''Rock Band 3'' custom character creator allows for more direct customization of the character's facial looks, using a combination of pre-made face styles (including those already from ''Rock Band 2''), facial components such as noses or chins, and adjustment sliders to change size, position, and other details. Numerous additional hair styles are available in addition to the existing elaborate and showy styles from the previous game. Additional controls can be used to further adjust the tone of the character's body, and players are able to apply tattoos across most anywhere on the character's body. Players can then get clothing and instruments in the various in-game shops, with items becoming unlocked as the player progresses through the game. In addition, premium T-shirts that spot real-life bands are being sold as downloadable content for the players' created characters.

Pro mode

''Rock Band 3'' is the first game in the ''Rock Band'' series to include "Pro" mode, in addition to the "Basic" mode which has been in every game in the series. Pro mode is designed to provide a more realistic playing experience which requires the player to learn the actual instrument and play the songs note-for-note. Pro mode players may select difficulty levels; one can play Pro mode on the "Easy" difficulty level, which reduces the number of notes to hit, but still would require proper fingering or hitting the correct cymbal. The progression of difficulties in Pro mode is aimed to help the player become familiar with the new playing style. On Easy Pro guitar, for example, the player may only be required to finger single notes, while Medium introduces chords. Pro mode is available across all game modes, and can be selected at the same time as difficulty. Pro players can play alongside Basic players in any game mode.

To further help players with the Pro mode, trainers are included with the game. The trainers were developed in conjunction with the Berklee College of Music to help ease current players into the more realistic playing experience. The training modes use songs created by Harmonix artists designed to help the players become comfortable with the instruments and interface over a series of lessons. According to Harmonix's Dan Sussman, there are about 60 to 80 songs specifically made for the trainer; at present they are only available for that mode, but Harmonix has considered placing the songs onto the Rock Band Network at a later date. Players are able to slow down songs in this mode as well.

Instrument controllers

All existing ''Rock Band'' and other compatible controllers will continue to work for Basic mode. Guitar controllers can also be used to play Basic keyboard parts after unlocking the ability to do so in-game, while the keyboard controller can also be used to play Basic guitar and bass parts without requiring the feature to be unlocked. A special MIDI adapter, also made by MadCatz and sold separately, will allow players with existing MIDI-compatible keyboards or drums to use them within the game; the unit will not work for existing MIDI guitars due to the additional data that Harmonix registers over the MIDI data. In April 2010, Harmonix and game controller manufacturer Mad Catz entered a multi-year deal to allow Mad Catz to produce and sell its controllers alongside the ''Rock Band'' games.

In addition to the standalone game and controllers, Harmonix and MadCatz released a ''Rock Band 3'' bundle package which includes the keyboard controller and the game. Licensing prevents this bundle from being sold to PlayStation 3 users in the United States, but Harmonix worked with vendors to offer a "soft bundle" of the standalone game and keyboard at the same cost as the bundle, and to honor existing pre-orders for the bundle.

Guitar and bass

Existing "5 button" guitar controllers from previous ''Rock Band'' and other compatible games (such as ''Guitar Hero'') can still be used for non-Pro parts in ''Rock Band 3''.

For Pro guitar and bass, one of two official controllers will be required that has the ability to track fingering on specific frets either as fret buttons or strings, and will present this for on-screen feedback to the player.

Mad Catz released a new guitar controller, based on the Fender Mustang, for the game's Pro mode. Instead of five colored buttons, the Mustang has 6 buttons across 17 different frets, for a total of 102 buttons; the player needs to strike the corresponding buttons on the right frets similar to guitar strings. The player uses the "string box" that contains six stainless-steel strings which can detect which strings are being strummed, replacing the "strum bar" from the typical "5 button" controller. In addition to Pro mode use, the Mustang can be used to play the game in Basic mode, and it functions as a full MIDI guitar, with a MIDI output connector providing compatibility with MIDI software sequencers and hardware devices.

Fender made a second Pro guitar controller in the style of a Squier Stratocaster, featuring six strings instead of fret buttons. The instrument is a true electric guitar that also has full output MIDI support outside of the game. A demonstration of the unit at the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo shows the Fender guitar controller being played directly through an electric amplifier alongside other players on the other controllers while playing the game. Unlike the Mustang, the Squier cannot be used in Basic mode. The Squier was not available at ''Rock Band 3'''s launch, but was instead released in March 2011. Whereas each Mustang can only be used with the game console it is designed for, the Squier is console-neutral. Instead of buying a console-specific guitar, players need to purchase the MadCatz MIDI Pro-Adapter for their console, which the Squier can be plugged into for in-game use.

During Pro mode play for guitar and bass, single notes are represented by a number, representing the fret on the guitar, over a single string. Chords are represented by solid bars that mimic waveforms. The base position for the player's hand on the fretboard is given by a number on a specific string. The shape of the bar over the other strings provide relative fret positions for the player's hand on the controller. The instrument controllers provide feedback to the player by sensing the player's current fingering, which is then shown as a waveform drawn at the base of the note track, in the same style as the chord representation, allowing the player to match their waveform to the chord's shape. Players can optionally enable a feature that numbers every fret position for a chord. Chord names are shown at the side of the track, approaching the appearance of a guitar tablature. In addition, Pro Guitar and Bass include ''legato''-style playing through hammer-ons and pull-offs, as well as slides on sustained notes along the strings represented by sustained note gems with slanted tails. Pro Guitar also includes open chords, arpeggios where the player holds a chord and plucks specific strings for it, and left-hand muting of notes.

On Easy difficulty Pro mode, the game will only present single notes to the player; Medium difficulty introduces chords, while Hard difficulty is a less-dense version of the full guitar track charted for Expert mode. The game adjusts which frets are used depending on which Pro model guitar is used, because the Mustang has fewer frets than the Squier. Some leeway is given on Pro Guitar such as by missing a chord by one offset string.

Drums

Existing drum kits from ''Rock Band'', ''Guitar Hero'', and other games, including the ION electronic drum kits, can be used for Basic mode play in ''Rock Band 3''. For Pro drums, a three cymbal-pad set is added to the core drum kit; notes on screen are marked as a rounded note instead of rectangular to indicate a cymbal hit instead of a drum hit. MadCatz and other manufacturers already produced a cymbal add-ons for ''Rock Band 2'' drum kits, but introduced a new version with the release of ''Rock Band 3''. The player can optionally use 1 or 2 additional cymbal pads, configuring the Pro Drums mode to only recognize those. Players can also add a second foot pedal and configure the game to act as a second bass drum pedal or as a hi-hat pedal. Additionally, existing ION drum kits will work in Pro mode for ''Rock Band 3''.

Keyboard

''Rock Band 3'' introduces keyboard parts for songs. MadCatz has produced the new keyboard controller for the official release. The controller resembles a keytar with a handle to one side; this allows it to be either worn using a guitar strap or placed on a horizontal surface. The keyboard features 25 full-sized velocity-sensitive keys, and is MIDI compatible, allowing it to be used outside the game. For instance, Freezepop, a band which has close ties to members of Harmonix, has used the keyboard controller as a keytar for their stage shows.

Players need to strike notes and chords, marked to specific keys on the display, to score points. In Basic mode, five white keys, from the middle C to G, each correspond to colored notes on screen, and are played in a similar manner to existing guitar and bass parts; these keys can also be used to play guitar and bass parts on the keyboard. Overdrive is activated by pressing a special button on the controller. A touch-pad in the handle of the unit functions as a pitch wheel, providing for a whammy bar-type effect on sustained notes.

On screen, Pro mode for keyboards shows ten white keys and the corresponding black keys, as the full range cannot be displayed on screen; Two visual cues are given to the player to identify what position on the controller they should play relative to the keys shown on-screen. One cue is through highlighting the entire lane that corresponds to a played note whether correct or not; this is designed to help keep the player's hand positions correlated on the unit. A second cue is uniquely grouped coloring of a channel containing a set of 5 keys matching similar markings on the keyboard unit to identify the correct area of the keyboard that the player should be on. Pro keyboard charting includes notes and chords using a combination of white and black keys. On Easy or Medium Pro keys, the range of keys on screen does not shift, but on Hard and Expert the range of keys shown on the screen shifts as the song necessitates, requiring the player to move their own hands in turn. Arrow indicators are displayed to indicate when the displayed area is about to shift left or right, giving the player time to compensate.

Vocals

Any USB-compatible microphone can be used for the vocal parts. A USB hub can be used for up to three microphone players. ''Rock Band 3'' does not require the vocalists to be signed in on the console's systems; this allows ''Rock Band 3'' to surpass the usual limit of four local players that exists on the Wii and Xbox 360. Vocal harmonies cannot be performed by separate players over networked connections due to latency issues. Pitch correction technology developed by iZotope has been integrated into the game, allowing vocalists to add effects to their vocal performances within the game.

Nintendo DS version

The Nintendo DS version of ''Rock Band 3'' follows the gameplay format of ''Rock Band Unplugged'' for the PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS version of ''Lego Rock Band''. There are no special instrument attachments; instead, gameplay is designed around matching notes using the face buttons on the DS. Each of the 26 songs, a subset of the songs available on the ''Rock Band 3'' disc for other consoles, are presented as a set of four tracks, one for each instrument, with the player able to move between them. To perform well, the player must move between tracks using the shoulder buttons and succeed to match a phrase of notes using the face buttons of the controller in order to boost the band's performance meter; in normal game modes, this will cause the track to play automatically by itself for a brief period allowing the player to focus on the other tracks. The player can fail a song if they cannot match notes correctly, or by ignoring a single track for too long. The DS version includes a single-player career mode and both cooperative and competitive play modes. Additional features that were present in ''Unplugged'' also are included in ''Rock Band 3'' for the DS, but have been renamed to match changes in the game's console modes. For example, the "Band Survival" mode from ''Unplugged'', requiring the player to keep all the instruments going without any respite after successfully completing a track section, is called "Pro Mode" in ''Rock Band 3'' for the DS.

Development

Despite previous success of rhythm games, the genre as a whole saw nearly a 50% drop in revenues in 2009; sales of top-tier titles ''The Beatles: Rock Band'' and ''Guitar Hero 5'' were significantly off from initial projections. Part of this has been attributed to the late-2000s recession limiting new purchases, but other analysis have speculated that consumers had grown tired of purchasing new iterations of instrument controllers for the same gameplay. While designing ''Rock Band 3'', Harmonix sought to capture the playing experience that "really started this whole phenomenon in the first place", according to project director Daniel Sussman. Harmonix's CEO, Alex Rigopulos, stated that "Our ambition for ''Rock Band 3'' was really to re-energize and reinvigorate the (music game) category and advance it and move it forward." In introducing the game to journalists at a closed media event about a month prior to the 2010 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Harmonix called ''Rock Band 3'' a "disruptive title" for the music game industry. Another aspect that Harmonix considered was "a ground-up rebuild of the ''Rock Band'' platform" and how players could interact better with the game and music library, according to Sussman.

Harmonix included the keyboard controller to help address these goals. The keyboard functionality was "designed basically to answer that staleness factor" that has been seen in music games, as said by Sussman. The gameplay for Basic keys was designed so that it was party-accessible, simple, and easy for existing ''Rock Band'' players to learn. Pro keys, on the other hand, was designed so that it would be fun playing the accurate song. The team also included Pro mode to help invigorate existing players to give them new challenges, aimed at those that "had any aspirations of connecting with the music in a deeper way", according to senior designer Sylvain Dubrofsky. Sussman commented that the combination of existing and new gameplay modes provides "an experience that is both accessible to players who are just getting into this thing, and builds something for the hard-core player who is maybe a little bored with where music games are". Sussman noted that there still remains a large gap between mastering the Pro modes and playing real instruments: "We see Pro as a different experience from the five-button simulation, but not necessarily a track to expertise." Sussman further commented that inclusion of Pro mode, particularly at higher difficulty levels, was "because it shows the potential ceiling of where this can take you". However, Harmonix was still dedicated to helping to "open doors" for players interested in learning real musical instruments, such as by including appropriate music fundamentals that can be used outside of the game. Harmonix created the Pro Guitar charts for songs through careful audio interpretation of master tracks and through watching live performances of the songs to ensure they were using the correct chords.

Promotion

''Rock Band 3'' was distributed by Electronic Arts after the two companies reached a continued agreement for distribution of the series, which was initially set to expire in March 2010, with the final EA-distributed title to have been ''Green Day: Rock Band''.

A pre-E3 event occurred on May 20, 2010, to provide exclusive coverage of the game to selected gaming journalists, who would remain under news embargo until June 11, 2010, just prior to E3. The first evidence that ''Rock Band 3'' would include keyboards came from a teaser image for the game in the ''Green Day: Rock Band'' demo, released in late May 2010; the image showed 5 icons, 4 representing the existing instruments in the game and the fifth showing a keyboard layout. Ars Technica claimed via a mole, that the unit would be a "keytar", and that the game would include Pro mode. Ars Technica later claimed that Harmonix requested to have the article removed due to the embargo, and insisted that the unit should not be referred to as a "keytar". Ars Technica further commented that while other gaming sites had to wait until June 11 when the embargo was lifted, ''USA Today'' was able to reveal their stories the day before, scooping the other sites who had originally remained quiet on Ars Technica's story for fear of breaking the embargo.

The 2010 E3 Game Critics Awards awarded ''Rock Band 3'' for the "Best Social/Casual Game", and included both the new keyboard and the Pro guitar peripherals as "Best Hardware" nominees. The game was also awarded the title of "Best Music Game" as well as being nominated for "Most Innovative" by GameTrailers.

Several offers were made available to players who pre-ordered the game, depending on vendor. In North America, those that pre-ordered through Gamestop received early access to three downloadable tracks for the game; "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads, "My Own Summer" by Deftones, and "Blue Monday" by New Order. Players preordering the game through Amazon.com or Best Buy received immediate access to a unique in-game guitar for their avatars.

Post-release support

Harmonix continues to support ''Rock Band 3'' not only through additional downloadable content, but updating the core software for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners to address critical issues and incorporate new features. This has included adding support for the Rock Band Network Audition mode ahead of the release of Rock Band Network 2.0 (supporting the unique ''Rock Band 3'' feature set), and, due to high demand from the game's fans, adding in unofficial support of the light-and-fog stage kit device previously developed for ''Rock Band 2'' on the Xbox 360.

After the dissolution of MTV Games, MadCatz will be taking over the publication and distribution rights for the game, with a re-release of the game in several instrument bundles for late 2011, including one featuring their Pro Mustang guitar controller.

Soundtrack

The full soundtrack for ''Rock Band 3'' features 83 songs, including a mix of tracks that made use of the new keyboard peripheral. The full setlist was formally announced a few days after the 2010 Gamescom, at which the list was accidentally revealed during a video interview which had it scrolling in the background. The Nintendo DS version of the game features a 26-song subset of the consoles' setlist.

Harmonix releases new downloadable songs for ''Rock Band 3'' each week, starting launch week with a set of twelve songs from The Doors. Downloadable songs since the game's release include, when appropriate, keyboard and vocal harmony support within the base cost of the song (normally about US$2 per song). Due to the cost and effort to create Pro guitar and bass tracks, Harmonix releases these additional authored parts as a separate download for certain songs with an additional US$1 cost. Downloadable songs released by Harmonix after ''Rock Band 3'''s release are not compatible with previous games in the series due to changes in the song format.

The majority of songs from other ''Rock Band'' games, including both on-disc songs and songs offered as downloadable content, are playable in ''Rock Band 3'', which led to more than 2000 songs already being available when the game was released. ''Rock Band'' Network can also be played in ''Rock Band 3'' and, unlike in ''Rock Band 2'', they can be played in all game modes. A new version of ''Rock Band'' Network, called ''Rock Band'' Network 2.0, allows songs to be authored with harmonies, Basic and Pro keys, and Pro drums, but does not support Pro guitar and bass charting due to the complexity of authoring those parts and the number of users able to test them.

Reception

''Rock Band 3'' has received universal praise from gaming journalists who considered the game to be a major jump from ''Rock Band 2'' and a pinnacle of the rhythm game genre. Matt Miller of ''Game Informer'' called the title "a culmination of Harmonix’s efforts to bring music to the masses". Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica commented that for ''Rock Band 3'', "This is the new state of the art for rhythm games, and it's hard to find fault with what's being offered." Joystiq's Griffen McElroy asserted that ''Rock Band 3'' "is the greatest rhythm game ever made, and quite possibly the only rhythm game you need to own". Reviews praised the incorporation of realistic instruments and the education of how to play them into the video game setting, seeing the title as a means of preparing players to pick up real instruments. Chad Sapieha of ''The Globe and Mail'' said that with the release of ''Rock Band 3'' "we are just a hair’s breadth away from moving beyond make believe" while the ''New York Times'''s Seth Schiesel stated that "Harmonix has brilliantly torn down the wall between music games and real music".

Reviews praised the introduction of keyboard and the new controller. Miller described the keyboard peripheral as "small and light" with a number of options for how one can play it, with Johnny Minkley of Eurogamer adding that the keytar approach makes the keyboard peripheral "gaming's next must-have shame-maker". Many reviews noted that while there are some enjoyable and difficult non-Pro versions of the keyboard charts, playing in this mode was not much different from the established "five button" guitar method, and that the real enjoyment from the peripheral was through Pro mode. IGN's Hilary Goldstein noted that the keyboard addition allows Harmonix to expand the types of songs that one would previously have never expected to appear in a ''Rock Band'' game, such as Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" or any Elton John song. Sam Machkovech for ''The Atlantic'' expressed similar sentiments, adding that with the ability to include more keyboard or synthesizer-heavy songs into the game, "the songs are just plain better".

The new Pro mode was critically acclaimed as the primary feature that distinguished ''Rock Band 3'' from other music games in the field. Minkley stated that the inclusions of Pro features "at once dramatically expand the potential of the game and fundamentally change the approach required to play and enjoy it". Reviewers appreciated the training modes, including their integration into the overall game's career progression and the breadth of material that is covered. Nina Shen Rastogi of ''Slate'' commented that ''Rock Band 3'''s training modes helps to overcome the discouraging early period of trying to learn guitar as "the gaming elements will mask the rote, homeworklike nature of the guitar training process". Kuchera noted that the modes were aimed at those who have some understanding of music theory already; "If this is your first introduction to music theory, though, you may need a little more explanation", he concluded. This lament was similarly stated by Machkovech, who felt the lessons had "text that was written by a musical savant" that would be too confusing to those without musical backgrounds and too simple for those trained in music arts. Chris Kohler of ''Wired'' described the experience he and a friend had where after playing though Devo's "Whip It" on Pro guitar and keyboard, they were able retain enough muscle memory to play their respective parts on real instruments, albeit not perfectly; Kohler summarized his experience that "Just playing ''Rock Band 3'' taught us a little bit of actual music".

A primary consideration for the game was the cost of entry to enjoy the new features of the game particularly in Pro mode; both the cost of the new keyboard and Pro guitars (ranging from $80 to 280) and the time investment to learn these aspects was considered high and may only cater to niche players. The ''Metro'' noted that if one does not purchase any of the additional hardware controllers, "it's not much different to ''Rock Band 2''". Goldstein commented that the amount of investment into the game will affect one's perception of the game's value: "either something completely new and challenging or just more tracks to rock out to". Goldstein further noted that with the cost and time spent on the Pro guitar models, "why not spend a little more and buy the real thing". Several reviewers commented that the buttoned Mustang Pro guitar is not as sturdy as other instruments and does not have the same tactile feel as a real guitar. Specifically, the reviewers noted that the width of the button impressions do not vary in width as real guitar strings would, and there is no tactile feedback as one would have with a fretboard. These reviewers suggested that players, if dedicated to the Pro guitar mode, to wait for the stringed Fender Squier which had more favorable reviews.

The game's soundtrack was considered to be "the most unusual and varied in the franchise" by Miller, and "an eclectic collection that's a little more pop than metal" by Goldstein. Kuchera considered the set list to be one of the best in any music game, "spanning decades and genres and bringing a wide variety of songs to suit any taste".

Sales

Initial sales figures from the United Kingdom showed that, for the two days that the game was available, only about 7,400 units were sold across all platforms, placing ''Rock Band 3'' as the 26th-best-selling title during the week ending October 30, 2010. The title was the 15th best selling game in North America for October based on sales data from the NPD Group. In an interview with ''Edge'' in February 2011, Alex Rigopulos stated that ''Rock Band 3'' "hasn’t yet sold to the level we hoped it would out of the gate", but believes that there is still significant potential in the title, in considering the then-recent discontinuation of the ''Guitar Hero'' series and the pending release of the Fender Squier PRO guitar unit. Though exact numbers have not been revealed by Harmonix, Rigopulos has stated that ''Rock Band 3'' has trailed Harmonix's other game, ''Dance Central'', also released in 2010, which has sold 1.2 million units in North America by February 2011.

References

External links

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A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In each musical style different norms have developed for the sizes and composition of different ensembles, and for the repertoire of songs or musical works that these ensembles perform.

A group of two musicians is called a duo, a group of three is a trio, a group of four a quartet, and a group of five a quintet. A musician who usually performs alone is usually termed a solo musician or solo artist.

In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families (such as piano, strings, and wind instruments) or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles. In jazz ensembles, the instruments typically include wind instruments (one or more saxophones, trumpets, etc.), one or two chordal "comping" instruments (electric guitar, piano, or organ), a bass instrument (electric bass guitar or double bass), and a drummer or percussionist. In rock ensembles, usually called rock bands, there are usually guitars and keyboards (piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, synthesizer, etc.) and a rhythm section made up of a bass guitar and drum kit.

Classical chamber music

In Western Art music, commonly referred to as classical music, smaller ensembles are called chamber music ensembles. The terms duet, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, nonet and dectet are used to describe groups of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten musicians, respectively. A group of eleven musicians, such as found in ''The Carnival of the Animals'', is called either a "hendectet" or an "undectet" (see Latin numerical prefixes). A solo is not an ensemble because it only contains one musician.

Four parts

Strings

A string ''quartet'' usually consists of two violins, a viola and a cello. An upper string quartet features two violins and two violas. A lower string quartet features 1 viola, 2 cellos and a double bass. An American string quartet features two guitars, a banjo and a drum kit.

Wind

A woodwind quartet usually features a clarinet, bassoon, flute and oboe. A brass quartet features 2 trumpets, a trombone and a tuba. A wind quartet features a horn, flute, oboe and bassoon. A lower wind quartet features a tuba, a bassoon, a bass clarinet and a trombone.

Five parts

The string ''quintet'' is a common type of group. It is similar to the string quartet, but with two violas, two cellos, or more rarely, the addition of a double bass. Terms such as "piano quintet" or "clarinet quintet" frequently refer to a string quartet ''plus'' a fifth instrument. Thus, a ''piano quintet'' is usually a string quartet plus a piano. Mozart's Clarinet Quintet is similarly a piece written for an ensemble consisting of 2 violins, a viola, a cello and a clarinet, the last being the exceptional addition to a "normal" string quartet.

Other common groupings in classical music are the woodwind quintet, usually consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn and the brass quintet, consisting of two trumpets, one french horn, a trombone and a tuba.

Six or more instruments

Classical chamber ensembles for more than six musicians are occasionally used, such as septets (seven musicians), octets (eight musicians), or nonets (nine musicians). However, in many cases a larger classical group is referred to as an orchestra of some type. A small orchestra with fifteen to thirty members (violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and several woodwind or brass instruments) is called a chamber orchestra In the American education system, sitting groups are known as wind ensembles or concert bands (to differentiate from marching bands). Music is similar to that of a pops orchestra, orchestrated for woodwinds, brass, and percussion. A sinfonietta usually denotes a somewhat smaller orchestra (though still not a chamber orchestra). Larger orchestras are called symphony orchestras or philharmonic orchestras.

A pops orchestra is an orchestra that mainly performs light classical music (often in abbreviated, simplified arrangements) and orchestral arrangements and medleys of popular jazz, music theater, or pop music songs. A string orchestra has only strings, i.e., violins, violas, cellos and basses.

A symphony orchestra is an ensemble usually comprising at least thirty musicians; the number of players is typically between seventy and ninety-five and may exceed one hundred. A symphony orchestra is divided into families of instruments. In the string family, there are sections of violins (I and II), violas, cellos, and basses. The winds consist of the woodwind family of instruments (flutes and piccolo, oboes and English horn, clarinets [made up of the E clarinet, clarinet, and bass clarinet], and bassoons [often including contrabassoon]) and the brass family (horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba). The percussion family includes the timpani, bass drum, snare drum, and any other percussion instruments called for in a score (e.g., triangle, glockenspiel, chimes, cymbals, wood blocks).

When orchestras are performing baroque music (from the 17th century and early 18th century), they may also use a harpsichord or pipe organ. When orchestras are performing Romantic-era music (from the 19th century), they may also use harps or unusual instruments such as the wind machine. When orchestras are performing music from the 20th century or the 21st century, occasionally instruments such as electric guitar, theremin, or even an electronic synthesizer may be used.

Jazz ensembles

Three parts

In jazz, there are several types of trios. One type of jazz trio is formed with a piano player, a bass player and a drummer. Another type of jazz trio that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s is the organ trio, which is composed of a Hammond organ player, a drummer, and a third instrumentalist (either a saxophone player or an electric jazz guitarist). In organ trios, the Hammond organ player performs the bass line on the organ bass pedals while simultaneously playing chords or lead lines on the keyboard manuals. Other types of trios include the "drummer-less" trio, which consists of a piano player, a double bassist, and a horn (saxophone or trumpet) or guitar player ; and the jazz trio with a horn player (saxophone or trumpet), double bass player, and a drummer. In the latter type of trio, the lack of a chordal instrument means that the horn player and the bassist have to imply the changing harmonies with their improvised lines.

Four parts

Jazz quartets typically add a ''horn'' (the generic jazz name for saxophones, trombones, trumpets, or any other wind instrument commonly associated with jazz) to one of the jazz trios described above. Slightly larger jazz ensembles, such as quintets (five instruments) or sextets (six instruments) typically add other soloing instruments to the basic quartet formation, such as different types of saxophones (e.g., alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, etc.) or an additional chordal instrument.

Larger ensembles

The lineup of larger jazz ensembles can vary considerably, depending on the style of jazz being performed. In a 1920s-style dixieland jazz band, a larger ensemble would be formed by adding a banjo player, woodwind instruments, as with the clarinet, or additional horns (saxophones, trumpets, trombones) to one of the smaller groups. In a 1940s-style Swing big band, a larger ensemble is formed by adding "sections" of like instruments, such as a saxophone section and a trumpet section, which perform arranged "horn lines" to accompany the ensemble. In a 1970s-style jazz fusion ensemble, a larger ensemble is often formed by adding additional percussionists or sometimes a saxophone player would "double" or "triple" meaning that they would also be proficient at the clarinet, flute or both. Also by the addition of soloing instruments.

Rock and pop bands

Two parts

Two-member rock and pop bands are relatively rare, because of the difficulty in providing all of the musical elements which are part of the rock or pop sound (vocals, chords, bass lines, and percussion or drumming) with trios or quartets. Two-member rock and pop bands typically omit one of these musical elements. In many cases, two-member bands will omit a drummer, since guitars, bass guitars, and keyboards can all be used to provide a rhythmic pulse, however one rare west coast metal and rock band In Between, consists of a drummer and a guitarist/singer. Examples of two-member bands are The Everly Brothers, Pet Shop Boys, Hella, Flight of the Conchords, Death from above 1979, Francis Xavier, I Set My Friends On Fire, Middle Class Rut, No Age, The Pity Party, The White Stripes, Big Business, erdbeerseestern, God Head Silo, Two Gallants, Lightning Bolt, The Ting Tings, The Black Box Revelation, Satyricon, The Black Keys, Panic! At the Disco, Stray Kites, Tenacious D, D.A. Dad, Simon and Garfunkel and The Pack A.D..

When electronic sequencers became widely available in the 1980s, this made it easier for two-member bands to add in musical elements that the two band members were not able to perform. Sequencers allowed bands to pre-program some elements of their performance, such as an electronic drum part and a synth-bass line. Two-member pop music bands such as Soft Cell, Blancmange and Yazoo used pre-programmed sequencers. Other pop bands from the 1980s which were ostensibly fronted by two performers, such as Wham! and Tears for Fears, were not actually two-piece ensembles, because other instrumental musicians were used "behind the scenes" to fill out the sound.

Two-piece bands in rock music are quite rare. However, starting in the 2000s, blues-influenced rock bands such as The White Stripes, Lost Dawn and The Black Keys utilized a guitar and drums scheme. However, this is predated by the Flat Duo Jets from the '80's. Death From Above 1979 featured a drummer and bass guitarist. Tenacious D is a two-guitar band; One Day as a Lion and The Dresden Dolls both feature a keyboardist and a drummer. The band Welk consists of a two-man psychedelic flute band, with the occasional synthesizer. Two-person bands have grown in popularity in experimental rock music. W.A.S.P. guitarist Doug Blair is also known for his work in the two-piece progressive rock band signal2noise, where he manages to be the lead guitarist and bassist at the same time, thanks to a special custom instrument he invented (an electric guitar with five regular guitar strings paired with three bass guitar strings). Heisenflei of Los Angeles duo The Pity Party plays drums, keyboards, and sings simultaneously. Providence-based Lightning Bolt is a two-member band. Bassist Brian Gibson augments his playing with delay pedals, pitch shifters, looping devices and other pedals, occasionally creating harmony. Local H, No Age, Blood Red Shoes, PS I Love You, The Redmond Barry's and Warship are other prominent two-person experimental rock bands.

Example line-up

Lead vocals, Bass, Guitar

Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

or

Lead vocals, Keyboard, Guitar

Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

or

Lead vocals, Bass, Drum machine

Lead guitar, Backing vocals Drum machine

Three parts

The smallest ensemble that is commonly used in rock music is the trio format. In a hard rock or blues-rock band, or heavy metal rock group, a "power trio" format is often used, which consists of an electric guitar player, an electric bass guitar player and a drummer, and typically one or more of these musicians also sing (sometimes all three members will sing, e.g. Bee Gees or Alkaline Trio). Some well-known power trios with the guitarist on lead vocals are The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Nirvana, Green Day, Violent Femmes, Gov't Mule, The Minutemen, Triumph, Shellac, Sublime, Chevelle, Muse, Short Stack, ZZ Top, and the original lineup of Wolfmother. A handful of others with the bassist on vocals include Primus, Motörhead, The Police, The Melvins, Blue Cheer, Dinosaur Junior, Rush, The Presidents of the United States of America, Venom, and Cream. Some power trios feature two lead vocalists, both of which play their respective instruments. For example, in the band blink-182 vocals are split between bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist Tom DeLonge.

An alternative to the power trio are organ trios formed with an electric guitarist, a drummer and a keyboardist. Although organ trios are most commonly associated with 1950s and 1960s jazz organ trio groups such as those led by organist Jimmy Smith, there are also organ trios in rock-oriented styles, such as jazz-rock fusion and Grateful Dead-influenced jam bands such as Medeski Martin & Wood. In organ trios, the keyboard player typically plays a Hammond organ or similar instrument, which permits the keyboard player to perform bass lines, chords, and lead lines. A variant of the organ trio are trios formed with an electric bassist, a drummer and an electronic keyboardist (playing synthesizers) such as the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Atomic Rooster. Another variation is to have a vocalist, a guitarist and a drummer, an example being Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Another variation is two guitars, a bassist, and a drum machine, examples including Magic Wands and Big Black.

A power trio with the guitarist on lead vocals is popular record company lineup, as the guitarist and singer will usually be the songwriter. Therefore you only have to present one face to the public, the backing band is easy to house, and the songs will likely stay simple and accessible as the frontman will have to sing and play guitar at the same time.

Example line-up

Lead vocals, Lead guitar

Bass guitar, Keyboards

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals, Bass guitar

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

or

Backing vocals, Bass guitar

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion, Lead vocals

or

Lead vocals, Lead guitar

Bass guitar, Backing vocals, Harmonica

Drums, Percussion

Four parts

The four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. Before the development of the electronic keyboard, the configuration was typically two guitarists (one lead guitarist and one rhythm guitarist, with the latter on vocals), a bassist (typically the electric bass guitar) and a drummer (e.g.KISS, Foo Fighters, Weezer, Metallica, The Clash, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Kinks, The Fray, Sonic Youth, The Smashing Pumpkins, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Against Me! and the new lineup of Wolfmother). This is popular with bands for its versatility. However, it has been noted the main complaint is that it takes too much effort to keep so many instruments in tune when they are played by every member of the band.

Another common formation was a vocalist, electric guitarist, bass guitarist, and a drummer (e.g.The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, Tokio Hotel, Sex Pistols, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, R.E.M., Blur, The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, Stone Roses, Creed, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, The Stooges, Joy Division, U2 and Coldplay). Instrumentally, these bands can be considered as trios. This format is popular with new bands, as there are only two instruments that need tuning, the line-and-counterpoint formula prevalent with their material is easy to learn, four members are commonplace to work with, the roles are clearly defined and generally are: melody line, rhythm section with counterpoint melody, and vocals on top.

In some early rock bands, keyboardists were used, performing on piano (e.g. The Seeds and The Doors) with a guitarist, singer, drummer and keyboardist. Some bands will have a guitarist, bassist, drummer, and keyboard player (for example, Small Faces, King Crimson, The Guess Who, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, The Killers, The Monkees and Blind Faith).

Some bands will have the bassist on lead vocals, such as Thin Lizzy, Chameleons, Pink Floyd, NOFX, +44, Slayer, The All-American Rejects or even the lead guitarist, such as Dire Straits and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Some bands, such as The Beatles, have a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist and a bassist that all sing lead and backing vocals, that also play keyboards regularly, as well as a drummer. Others, such as The Four Seasons, have a lead vocalist, a lead guitarist, a keyboard player, and a bassist, with the drummer not being a member of the band.

Example line-ups

Lead vocals

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Keyboards, Backing vocals

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

or

Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals, Bass guitar

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Keyboards

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals, piano, Rhythm guitar

Lead guitar, backing vocals

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Backing vocals

or

Lead vocals, Lead guitar

Rhythm guitar, Backing vocals, Keyboards, Harmonica

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

or

Lead vocal, Bass guitar

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Rhythm guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

or

Lead vocals, Lead guitar

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Keyboards

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals, Keyboards/Piano

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion

or *Lead vocals *Lead guitar , Backing vocals *Keyboards ,Backing vocals *Drums ,Percussion

Five parts

Five-piece bands have existed in rock music since early times. The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Oasis, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Radiohead, The Strokes, Styx, The Yardbirds, 311 are examples of the common vocalist, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums lineup. An alternative to the five-member lineup replaces the rhythm guitarist with a keyboard–synthesizer player (examples being the bands Journey, Nightwish, Maroon 5, Dream Theater, Genesis, Jethro Tull, The Zombies, Bon Jovi, Yes, Snow Patrol, Fleetwood Mac, Marilyn Manson and Deep Purple, all of which consist of a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and a drummer) or with a turntablist such as Incubus or Limp Bizkit. Alternatives include a keyboardist, guitarist, drummer, bassist, and saxophonist, such as The Sonics and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Another alternative is three guitarists, a bassist and a drummer, such as Radiohead and The Byrds. Some five-person bands feature two guitarists, a keyboardist, a bassist and a drummer, with one or more of these musicians (typically one of the guitarists) handling lead vocals on top of their instrument (examples being Children of Bodom, Sturm und Drang and Ensiferum). In some cases, typically in cover bands, one musician plays either rhythm guitar or keyboards, depending on the song (one notable band being Firewind, with Bob Katsionis handling this particular role).

Other times, the vocalist will provide another musical voice to the table, most commonly a harmonica; Mick Jagger, for example, played harmonica and percussion instruments like maracas and tambourine. Ozzy Osbourne was also known to play the harmonica on some occasions (i.e. "The Wizard" by Black Sabbath).

Line-up

Lead vocals

Lead guitar, backing vocals

Rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Bass guitar, backing vocals

Drums, percussion

or

Lead vocals, keyboards, piano

Lead guitar, backing vocals

Bass guitar, backing vocals

Rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Lead guitar, backing vocals

Bass guitar, backing vocals

Keyboards, synthesizers

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals

Lead guitar, backing vocals

Keyboards, backing vocals

Bass guitar, backing vocals

Drums, percussion, backing vocals

or

Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar, Piano

Lead guitar, Piano, Keyboards, Backing vocals

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Keyboards, Rhythm guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

or

Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar, Keyboards

Rhythm guitar, Backing vocals

Lead guitar, Backing vocals

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar, Percussion, Keyboards

Lead guitar, Piano, Electronics, Bass, Percussion

Lead guitar, Backing vocals, Synths, Drums, Percussion

Bass guitar, Synths

Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals

Larger rock ensembles

Larger bands have long been a part of rock and pop music, in part due to the influence of the "singer accompanied with orchestra" model inherited from popular big-band jazz and swing and popularized by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.To create larger ensembles, rock bands often add an additional guitarist, an additional keyboardist, additional percussionists or second drummer, an entire horn section, and even a flutist. An example of a six-member rock band is Linkin Park with a lead vocalist, rap vocalist/keyboardist, lead guitarist, bassist, turntablist, and drummer. The American heavy metal band Slipknot is composed of eight members, with a vocalist, two guitarists, a drummer, two custom percussionists, a turntablist, and a sampler.

In larger groups (such as The Band), instrumentalists could play multiple instruments, which enabled the ensemble to create a wider variety of instrument combinations. More rarely, rock or pop groups will be accompanied in concerts by a full or partial symphony orchestra, where lush string-orchestra arrangements are used to flesh out the sound of slow ballads.

Example line-up

Lead vocals, screaming vocals

rapping vocals, pianist

lead guitar, backing vocals

bass guitar, backing vocals

turntables, programming, samples, backing vocals

drums, backing vocals

or

Lead vocals

Lead guitar

Rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Bass guitar, backing vocals

Drums, percussion

Keyboards

or

Lead vocals, Guitar

Lead guitarist, Backing vocals

Rhythm guitarist

Bass guitar, Backing vocals

Horns (anything from saxophone to a horn section)

Keyboards, Piano

Drums

or

Lead vocals

Lead guitar, backing vocals

Bass guitar, screaming vocals

Drums, percussion

Keyboards, piano

Rhythm guitar, backing vocals

DJ, emcee, drum machine, Sampler, synthesizers

Percussion

or even

Lead vocalist

Lead vocalist

Lead guitar

Lead guitar

Rhythm guitar

Bass guitar

Drums, Percussion

or

Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar

Backing Vocals, Lead Guitar

Backing Guitar, Backing Vocals

Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals

Drums, Percussion

Keyboards, Piano, Backing Vocals

Pedal Steel Guitar, Backing Vocals

Violin Backing Vocals

The above line-up was used by Bon Jovi during the Lost Highway tour.

Musical drama

Sung dramas such as operas and musicals usually have numbers where several of the principals are singing together, either on their own or with the chorus. Such numbers (''duets'', ''trios'', etc.) are also referred to as 'ensembles'.

Other western musical ensembles

In the 20th century, the Wind Symphony or Wind Ensemble became popular, especially in academic circles. A wind ensemble consists entirely of wind instruments and percussion instruments, but may also include a double bass. Schools from elementary level onward often have a school band program which is usually centered around its wind ensemble, often known as a concert band.

A choir is a group of voices. By analogy, sometimes a group of similar instruments in a symphony orchestra are referred to as a choir. For example, the woodwind instruments of a symphony orchestra could be called the woodwind choir.

A group that plays popular music or military music is usually called a band. A group that plays while marching on a football field, without being a marching band, is called a drum and bugle corps. These bands perform a wide range of music, ranging from arrangements of jazz orchestral, or popular music to military-style marches. Drum corps perform on brass and percussion instruments only. Some corps perform on bugles in the key of G, while others perform on brass instruments in multiple keys, depending on the group. Drum and Bugle Corps incorporate costumes, hats, and pageantry in their performances.

Other band types include:

Jug bands

Mexican Mariachi groups typically consist of at least two violins, two trumpets, one Spanish guitar, one vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar), and one Guitarrón (a Mexican acoustic bass that is roughly guitar-shaped), and one or more singers.

See also

List of musical ensemble formats

Music

Alexandrov ensemble

References

External links

Music, Historical images. From New York Public Library Digital Gallery

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Name	Drowning Pool
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Dallas, Texas,
Genre	Alternative metal, heavy metal, hard rock, post-grunge
Years active	1996–present
Label	Eleven Seven Music
Associated acts	Soil, AM Conspiracy
Website	www.drowningpool.com
Current members	Ryan McCombsC.J. PierceStevie BentonMike Luce
Past members	Dave WilliamsJason Jones }}

Drowning Pool is a four-piece metal band from Dallas, Texas.

History

Early days (1996–2002)

Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, ''Sinner'', was certified platinum within six weeks. On August 14, 2002, the band's lead singer Dave Williams was found dead inside his tour bus. A spokesperson for the medical examiner from the Northern District of Virginia said he suffered from a form of heart disease. When asked if the band had any unreleased songs, according to a 2002 Blabbermouth article, drummer Mike Luce replied that "only 3–4 songs were done, including one called "Heroes," which is a tribute to dead rock musicians such as Layne Staley. I don't know if we will ever release them."

Jason Jones (2003–2004)

After Williams' death, the band tried to carry on and begin searching for a new singer. Many were considered, such as Ben Schigel of Switched, Vince Mullins of Haji's Kitchen, Robb Flynn of Machine Head and many others. But in 2003, the band decided on Jason 'Gong' Jones to replace Williams and released the album ''Desensitized'' in 2004. During this era, Drowning Pool also experienced a considerable shift in visual style: rather than the dark, grimacing, anti-social demeanor seen with Williams as the frontman, they shifted toward rock star vanity and sex appeal. Despite the success of the album's lead single, "Step Up," the album was not nearly as successful as ''Sinner''.

Jones' departure from Drowning Pool was publicly announced on June 14, 2004, due to irreconcilable differences. Jones would later join the alternative metal band AM Conspiracy. Almost immediately, rumors started swirling concerning the new singer's identity, like Pat Lachman of Damageplan but the biggest buzz of the rumors was about former Soil singer Ryan McCombs. Drowning Pool announced that the new singer would be formally announced at Ozzfest in Dallas, Texas, where Drowning Pool did a one-off performance on the main stage.

On July 20, 2005, the website SMNNews received word from close sources that McCombs was indeed the new singer. According to their manager, McCombs was "really good" and someone the band had wanted when they first set out to replace original vocalist Dave Williams nearly two years prior.

New beginning (2006–2007)

In spring of 2006, Drowning Pool announced that they had parted ways with Wind-up Records. In October 2006, the new song "No More" was announced to be released on the ''Saw III'' soundtrack, their first track (besides the second version of "Rise Up") with McCombs on vocals.

On February 26, 2007, the band announced it signed a new deal with Eleven Seven Music. It was also confirmed that Drowning Pool would have a new management company, Tenth Street Entertainment.

The band's third album, ''Full Circle'', was released on August 7, 2007 and met with moderate success, though some fans pointed out that they favored McCombs' vocals over previous vocalist Jason Jones. Two songs on the album were produced by Funny Farm Records, owned by Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx and former Beautiful Creatures guitarist DJ Ashba. The remaining tracks have been recorded with producer Ben Schigel at the Ohio-based Spider Studios.

''Loudest Common Denominator'' & ''Self Titled Album'' (2008–present)

In January 2008, the band members announced that they would be touring North America as special guests of Saliva. On July 26, 2008, in Dubuque, Iowa, Drowning Pool played at the Dubuque County Fair alongside the bands Sick Puppies and Seether.

In September 2008, McCombs said in a statement that Drowning Pool will be recording its next album after it finishes touring with Saliva. According to an article from the El Paso Times, Drowning Pool has written material for its new album, and the band will be in the recording studio following the holidays.

On December 9, 2008, bassist Stevie Benton was quoted by the ''Associated Press'' as considering it an honor that the U.S. military was using Drowning Pool's music to bother captured prisoners. On December 13, 2008, Stevie Benton issued an apology on Drowning Pool's MySpace page about his comment on musical torture, stating his comment had been "taken out of context".

On March 3, 2009, the band released its live album, ''Loudest Common Denominator'', which featured two bonus tracks of acoustic versions of "Shame" and "37 Stitches".

According to a blog posted by the band members on the website SMNNEWS, they have hinted at having six songs already completed, and they just need to finish the other half of the album. McCombs dropped teasers of possible titles to two of the songs, "L.O.M.L" and "Regret". Guitarist C.J. Pierce also said he is bringing back some effects used on debut album ''Sinner'', but not on the previous two albums.

Drowning Pool finished recording their latest album with Kato Khandwala producing at House of Loud in New Jersey, which will be the first album in the band's history featuring the same vocalist twice since Dave Williams, who recorded two pre-Sinner albums as well as Sinner itself.

The first single off the band's upcoming self-titled album, titled "Feel Like I Do", is available as a free download on their official website, and the album will be released on April 27, 2010. Also as free downloads on their official website are "37 Stitches" and "Enemy" (link is not currently shown, but the song queues after 37 Stitches). On April 12, 2010, the band began pre-sale of the album on their official website alongside exclusive packages featuring autographed guitars and a military-based package. They are currently on tour, in support of the upcoming album, with Sevendust and Digital Summer.

Drowning pool played at the Washington county Fairplex in Hillsboro, oregon at rock fest 14 sponsored by Portland rock station 101 KUFO on Aug, 29, 2010 alongside Godsmack, Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Sevendust, My Darkest Days, and 10 Years.

It has also been announced that they will be touring with Godsmack and Five Finger Death Punch in an upcoming tour that starts on September 28, 2010 in Hollywood, FL and ends on November 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.

The band is set to go on tour with Trust Company.

Tours

Ozzfest 2001 and 2002 Tour

Music as a Weapon 1 Tour

Sinner Tour

Desensitized Tour

Full Circle Tour

This Is For The Soldiers Tour 2007

Know Your Enemy Tour 2008

Ozzfest 2008

2008 World Tour

Escape From the Studio Tour (opening for Korn)

Spring/Summer Tour 2009

Crue Fest 2

Ozzfest 2010

Liver Die Tour 2010 (with Sevendust)

Opening for Godsmack and Five Finger Death Punch from September 28, 2010 to November 4, 2010

JJO Band Camp, Madison, WI with Dope, Sevendust, Red, etc

Members

Ryan McCombs – lead vocals (2005–present)

C.J. Pierce – guitar, backing vocals (1996–present)

Stevie Benton – bass, backing vocals (1996–present)

Mike Luce – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1996–present)

Former members

Dave Williams: lead vocals (1999–2002)

Jason Jones: lead vocals (2003–2004)

Discography

''Sinner'' (2001)

''Desensitized'' (2004)

''Full Circle'' (2007)

''Drowning Pool'' (2010)

References

External links

Interview with Drowning Pool on ARTISTdirect.com

Category:American alternative metal musical groups Category:American nu metal musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1996 Category:Musical quartets Category:People from Dallas, Texas Category:Musical groups from Texas

de:Drowning Pool es:Drowning Pool fr:Drowning Pool hr:Drowning Pool it:Drowning Pool ms:Drowning Pool nl:Drowning Pool ja:ドラウニング・プール no:Drowning Pool uz:Drowning Pool pl:Drowning Pool pt:Drowning Pool ro:Drowning Pool ru:Drowning Pool simple:Drowning Pool fi:Drowning Pool sv:Drowning Pool tr:Drowning Pool uk:Drowning Pool

{{infobox musical artist|name	Rob Zombie
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Robert Bartleh Cummings
Also known as	Mr. Zombie
Born	January 12, 1965Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S.
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard
Genre	Heavy metal, alternative metal, groove metal, industrial metal
Occupation	Musician, songwriter, screenwriter, film director, film producer, programmer, music producer
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Sheri Moon Net worth Over 19 billion
Label	Roadrunner/Loud & Proud
Associated acts	White Zombie, Alice Cooper, Powerman 5000, Marilyn Manson
Website	}}

Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

Zombie has also established a successful career as a film director, creating the movies ''House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects'', the 2007 remake of ''Halloween'', its sequel, and ''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto''. His next film will be the upcoming ''The Lords of Salem'' which is scheduled to premiere in theaters sometime in 2012.

Early life

Born Robert Bartleh Cummings in Haverhill, Massachusetts, he was the first of two sons. His younger brother Michael David Cummings was born on August 25, 1968, and is better known as Spider One, the frontman of alternative metal group Powerman 5000.

Recording career

White Zombie (1985–1998)

Based in New York, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band in the vein of fellow New York band Sonic Youth and Texas experimental punk band Butthole Surfers. White Zombie was known for combining heavy-metal music with driving guitar riffs (as on "Super-Charger Heaven"), overlayed with lyrics heavily influenced by horror films and pseudo-Satanic imagery. Unlike other metal bands of the 1990s, White Zombie was almost exclusively a "fantasy" band, writing songs not about life but about the surreal. Following their signing to Geffen Records, White Zombie achieved commercial success, with a double and triple platinum album and a large number of their songs featured in movies and TV shows (notably ''Beavis and Butthead'' and ''Millennium''). The group officially disbanded in 1998 shortly after the release of lead singer Rob Zombie's solo album ''Hellbilly Deluxe''. In a 2008 interview to promote the release of ''Let Sleeping Corpses Lie'', Rob Zombie made it clear that a reunion with his White Zombie bandmates was unlikely, saying, "I don't want fans to think it's the beginning of anything." Cummings legally changed his name to Rob Zombie, his former stage name, in 1996.

Solo career (1998–present)

In 1996, Zombie collaborated with Alice Cooper on the song "Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)" for the ''X-Files'' tie-in CD ''Songs in the Key of X''. It was Zombie's first work outside of White Zombie. The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance the same year.

In 1997, Zombie contributed a song entitled "The Great American Nightmare" for the Howard Stern movie, ''Private Parts''. Since January 6, 1999, it has been the opening theme for Stern's radio show.

''Hellbilly Deluxe''

Zombie formed his own solo band in 1998. Drummer John Tempesta came directly from White Zombie, and was joined by Mike Riggs on guitar and Rob "Blasko" Nicholson on bass. They recorded and released Zombie's debut solo album, ''Hellbilly Deluxe'', in 1998, produced by Scott Humphrey. The album was a success, selling three million copies domestically. This album contained the hit singles "Dragula", "Living Dead Girl" and "Superbeast".

Zombie toured extensively to promote the album, then released ''American Made Music to Strip By'' in 1999, an album of remixes from ''Hellbilly Deluxe''.

''The Sinister Urge''

Zombie released ''The Sinister Urge'' in 2001 (the title taken from a 1961 Ed Wood film), again produced by Scott Humphrey. This release contained the singles "Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)", "Feel So Numb" and "Demon Speeding". While the album still featured Zombie's signature heavy metal sound, it was also more experimental than ''Hellbilly Deluxe'', including brass instruments on "(Go To) California." The album has been certified platinum.

In 2003, Zombie released his first greatest hits album ''Past, Present & Future'', containing hit songs both from his solo band and White Zombie. It also featured covers (The Commodores' "Brick House" and The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop") and unreleased songs ("Two-Lane Blacktop" and "Girl on Fire").

After a 2002–2003 world tour, Mike Riggs and John Tempesta left Zombie to form a similar band, Scum of the Earth. This put plans for another tour or new album on hold. Instead, between 2003 and 2005, Zombie directed and released two horror films, ''House of 1000 Corpses'' and ''The Devil's Rejects''.

''Educated Horses''

In 2005, Zombie returned to the music world by recruiting former Marilyn Manson guitarist, John 5, and former Alice Cooper drummer, Tommy Clufetos. Blasko and Humphrey remained, and the five began recording ''Educated Horses''. Released in 2006, ''Educated Horses'' is a break from Zombie's usual style. In contrast to the heavy metal sound of his first two albums, ''Horses'' features a more alternative metal sound. The single "Foxy Foxy" can be described as his most mainstream and "party-going" song. The other two singles, "Let It All Bleed Out" and "American Witch", featured his signature heavy metal sound. Also, for the first time, Zombie steered away from including horror references in the artwork and songs. Even his physical appearance is less of a persona (Zombie is dressed in regular clothes on the album cover, and his dreadlocks are gone). However, the songs "Seventeen Year Locust" and "The Scorpion Sleeps" do concern themselves with creepy-crawlies. Following the release of the album, Zombie toured the U.S. with Lacuna Coil.

''20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection: The Best of Rob Zombie'' was also released in 2006 by his label, Geffen Records. It contains songs similar to his first greatest hits album, but there are also songs on this release from ''Educated Horses''.

On May 31, 2006, Zombie was joined onstage by guitarist Slash (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Gilby Clarke (formerly of Guns N' Roses) on rhythm guitar, Scott Ian of Anthrax on bass, Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe on drums and special guest Ace Frehley of Kiss also on lead guitar. The occasion was a one-time supergroup tribute to Kiss for the first annual VH1 Rock Honors award show. They played one song, "God of Thunder," before handing it off to the honoree. Zombie then went on tour with Ozzy Osbourne.

Blasko, Zombie's bass player, left the band shortly before the American Witch Tour (the second leg of the tour to promote ''Educated Horses''), to play bass with Ozzy Osbourne. To fill in, Zombie hired Piggy D. of Amen and Wednesday 13 fame as a permanent replacement.

In 2007 Zombie released ''Zombie Live'', which was supposed to be accompanied by a live DVD and picture booklet. So far, only the CD has surfaced.

''Hellbilly Deluxe 2''

Zombie's follow-up to ''Educated Horses'' was still unnamed as of May 2008. Zombie posted an update on his website, stating: "Well, we have for the first time ever written more songs than we need for an album. Everything isn't 100% finished, but everything is moving along great. No release date yet." In August 2008, a new instrumental song entitled "Tyrannosaurus Rex", featuring John 5 on guitar, was uploaded onto Zombie's MySpace music page. In an interview published in December 2008, Zombie spoke about his new band lineup (John 5, Piggy D., and Tommy C), and how happy he was with his new band members, saying, "I've never had a band that I could call my good friends until now. " Meanwhile, also in December 2008, Zombie's new single "War Zone" was featured in the soundtrack to ''Punisher: War Zone''.

Rob Zombie appeared on ''The Howard Stern Show'' on August 18, 2009, saying the new album was complete, although he had not yet set a title, and was scheduled for release on November 10. That release date would later move to November 17, according to his MySpace blog. Eventually, the release date would be pushed back to February 2010.

On October 3, Zombie posted a link to preview the track "Sick Bubblegum" on his Twitter page. The first single "What?" was released on October 13. Zombie released the next new song, "Burn" for Rock Band, as well as two old tracks, "Dragula" and "Superbeast" on October 27. They are available via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network as well as the Rock Band online store.

On October 29, 2009, Zombie began the Hellbilly Deluxe 2 World Tour in support of his album ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool'', despite the fact it was not to be released until over three months later.

Zombie has commented that ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' may be his last physical record release due to the growing popularity of iTunes and other methods of music downloading, but stated he will continue to make music. ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' was set to be his last album released through Geffen Records, but in late October, Zombie announced that he had signed to Roadrunner Records and will instead be releasing ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' under that label in early 2010.

On January 22, he announced that he would be touring with Alice Cooper for the "Gruesome Twosome" tour.

Tommy Clufetos recently left the band to perform with Ozzy Osbourne on drums. He replaced drummer Mike Bordin who is on tour with his current band Faith No More. Joey Jordison has since replaced Clufetos and was announced to be drumming with Zombie for his upcoming summer tour dates. Rob Zombie was bothered that Clufetos was the second member to leave his solo band and join Osbourne after bassist Rob "Blasko" Nicholson left in 2006. Zombie commented, "If my guys that I have wanna go play with other people, that's fine; I don't own them. But I think there's ways to do things in a respectful way and there's ways to just be shitty, and I feel that the way things have gone down lately has been pretty shitty."

Rob Zombie performed at Edgefest in Little Rock, Arkansas as the co-headliner along with Godsmack on May 8, 2010. He also played on the main stage on the second day of the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio on May 23. It was widely reported that much of the crowd left after his performance, despite the fact that Limp Bizkit was still scheduled to take the stage.

Rob Zombie finished recording four new songs in July 2010 with John 5, Piggy D, and Joey Jordison. The new music, expected to be released in September 2010, was described by Zombie as "some of the fastest and heaviest tracks we have recorded in a long, long time." Former White Zombie member, and drummer for Rob Zombie's first two studio albums, John Tempesta was rumored to have recorded at least one song titled "Loving the Freaks" for this release. While Rob Zombie did confirm that this collaboration was planned, his schedule was too busy and these recording sessions never took place. Working with Tempesta again in the future was not ruled out. These newly recorded tracks were incorporated into a special edition reissue of ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' which was released on September 28, 2010.

For the first time in 12 years, Zombie will return to the United Kingdom to play a string of six dates in support of ''Hellbilly Deluxe 2''.

On March 4, 2011, Rob Zombie said that he would record a CD after he completes his upcoming film ''The Lords of Salem''.

Rob Zombie will embark on a North American tour with Slayer and Exodus called "Hell on Earth" tour starting July 20 and ending on August 6.

On April 22, 2011 on Zombie's official Twitter account, it was announced that his new drummer is ex-Marilyn Manson drummer and former John 5 bandmate, Ginger Fish.

Other projects

Rob Zombie sung alongside his brother, Spider One, on Powerman 5000's song "Blast Off to Nowhere" on their 1999 breakthrough album ''Tonight the Stars Revolt!''

Zombie supplied the vocals for Drowning Pool's song "Man Without Fear" for the soundtrack to the 2003 film ''Daredevil''.

Zombie is featured as a backing vocalist on "Floyd" from Lynyrd Skynyrd's 2009 album ''God & Guns''.

On May 23, 2010 Zombie's new comic book series about a fictitious horror host, ''Whatever Happened To Baron Von Shock?'', began. The first print sold out in less than a week.

On March 14, 2011, praising him for inventing the rock show, glam rock, and punk rock, Zombie inducted Alice Cooper into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Film and television

Film career

''House of 1000 Corpses'' was Rob Zombie's directorial debut and his first horror film. Zombie wrote the screenplay as well as directing the film. It took four years to make (1999–2003), and was finally released by Lion's Gate Films in 2003, after Stacy Snider, then-head of Universal Pictures, sold the film to them. It featured a great deal of violence and gore. The movie told the tale of a group of unlucky teenagers who stumble upon the Firefly Family, a family of sadistic and vicious murderers. The film was shot in a surreal and over-the-top style that alternated between dark and campy humor. The film was mostly panned by critics but has gained a cult following.

The ''House of 1000 Corpses''' sequel, ''The Devil's Rejects'', which Zombie also wrote and directed, showcased a much different style. Whereas ''House'' aimed at being more gory and bizarre, ''Rejects'' was darkly comedic and gritty. Released in 2005, ''Rejects'' had the Firefly Family on the run from the law and a particularly vengeful sheriff whose brother had been murdered by them in the first film. It had a better critical reception than ''Corpses''. Zombie contributed to the 2007 exploitation film ''Grindhouse'', by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino by directing a faux trailer, called ''Werewolf Women of the S.S.'', starring his wife, exploitation veterans Udo Kier and Sybil Danning, and Nicolas Cage, who appeared free for fun.

Zombie next wrote and directed ''Halloween'', a reimagining of the 1978 classic that was released August 31, 2007. Although it was a success and opened at number #1 at the box office with $26 million, it registered only 26% at Rotten Tomatoes. It would go on to gross over $78 million, his biggest hit yet and the highest grossing ''Halloween'' film of all time.

Zombie is the executive producer of the animated film ''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto'', based upon his comic book series, ''The Adventures of El Superbeasto'' (which appeared in his ''Spookshow International'' comic book). The film was released directly to DVD on September 22, 2009. It features the voices of Tom Papa, Paul Giamatti, Zombie's wife Sheri Moon, and Rosario Dawson.

Zombie directed a sequel to ''Halloween'' entitled ''Halloween II'', which was released on August 28, 2009. Filming began on February 23, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia with Tyler Mane returning as Michael Myers. Zombie will next be directing a new movie for Dimension Films known as ''Rob Zombie's Tyrannosaurus Rex''. In an interview at Comic Con 2009 with his younger brother Spider One of Powerman 5000, Zombie stated that his album would be released in October, followed by a tour.

''Variety'' Magazine announced the weekend before the release of ''Halloween II'' that Zombie will be directing a remake of the 1950s/1980s films ''The Blob''. Zombie will also create a new comic called "Whatever Happened to Baron Von Shock?", which will be released by Image Comics in late 2010.

On October 3, 2009 received the Filmmaker of the Year title of the Chiller-Eyegore Awards.

In December 2009 he announced an interest to direct an episode of ''CSI''. On January 13, 2010, Associated Press reported that Rob Zombie's ''CSI: Miami'' episode will air March 1. He shot the part of the series with the full cast of the series and casted for minor roles Michael Madsen, Malcolm McDowell, William Forsythe, ZZ Top's leader Billy Gibbons and his wife, Sheri Moon Zombie.

Rob Zombie and Universal Studios presents the Halloween Horror Nights – Rob Zombie Film Competition as part of the Halloween Horror Nights 2010.

Rob Zombie also was a guest host on WWE Raw.

On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Rob Zombie's next film project would be entitled ''The Lords of Salem''.

On February 21, 2011, he announced in an interview that he will start filming ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' after he finishes ''Lords of Salem''. The remake of ''The Blob'' will no longer be directed by Zombie.

Rumors circulated that Zombie would direct ''The Dirt'', a movie about Mötley Crüe. However, on his Twitter page on March 4, 2011, Zombie explained that he will not be directing ''The Dirt''. Instead, he said, "I am not. I am directing ''The Lords of Salem''. Recording a CD after that."

''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' is not a dead project, he explained in an interview: "It’ll happen eventually. I don’t have a deal for it, but that was supposed to be my movie I did after ''Halloween'' and then it never happened. For some reason in the last six months or so, everybody seems incredibly interested in it again. So the goal is to make that the next movie after ''The Lords of Salem''. I don’t know if it will be, because it’s such a weird business. But ''Tyrannosaurus Rex'' has always been my pet project that I’ve always wanted to make. It’s the movie I’ve been dying to make forever."

Music video direction

Rob has directed all of his own music videos as well as all White Zombie music videos except for "Welcome to Planet Motherfucker", "Black Sunshine" and "Thunderkiss '65". Zombie has contributed to other artists directing music videos such as Ozzy Osbourne's "Dreamer", Powerman 5000's "Tokyo Vigilante #1" and Black Label Society's "Stillborn" among others.

As a guest

Rob Zombie has appeared as a guest on several talk shows including ''Late Night with David Letterman'' (several times), ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' (twice), ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'', ''The Howard Stern Show'', ''The Opie and Anthony Show'', ''That Metal Show'', ''The Nerdist Podcast'', ''Criss Angel: Mindfreak'' (2005 episode "Buried Alive") and even ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' (while he was in White Zombie).

Zombie also made a few guest appearances in movies, including ''Airheads'' (with White Zombie on stage playing "Feed the Gods") and the voice of Dr. Karl (on the phone) in the movie ''Slither''. He did a few voiceovers for cartoons such as the voice of Ichthultu, a creature from an alternate universe in ''Justice League Unlimited'' and Dr. Curt Connors ("The Lizard") in ''Spider-Man: The New Animated Series''. Rob Zombie appeared as the guest host for the June 28th edition of ''WWE Monday Night RAW''.

Zombie supplied music for the ''Twisted Metal III'' and ''Twisted Metal 4'' soundtracks, and even appeared as a playable character in ''Twisted Metal 4''. Zombie's song "Dragula" was used in the ''Jet Grind Radio'' soundtrack.

Rob Zombie was the celebrity guest on the Oct 31, 2010 (Halloween Special) episode of ''Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''.

Personal life

On Halloween day of 2002, Zombie married longtime girlfriend Sheri Moon, whom he also frequently features in all of his horror films.

They currently live in Woodbury, Connecticut and Los Angeles, California.

Zombie is also an avid ice hockey fan, specifically of the Los Angeles Kings.

Collaborations

Rob Zombie has cast certain actors in more than one of his films.

!	House of 1000 Corpses>House of1000 Corpses''	The Devil's Rejects>The Devil'sRejects''	Halloween (2007 film)>Halloween''	Halloween II (2009 film)>Halloween 2''	The Haunted World of El Superbeasto>The Haunted Worldof El Superbeasto''	Lords of Salem (film)>Lords ofSalem''	! ''Tyrannosaurus Rex''
Brad Dourif
Leslie Easterbrook
Ken Foree
Sid Haig
Chris Hardwick
Danielle Harris
Tyler Mane
Malcolm McDowell
Matthew McGrory
Sheri Moon
Bill Moseley
Scout Taylor-Compton
Tom Towles
Danny Trejo

Filmography

;Feature-length films

''House of 1000 Corpses'' (2003) (director, writer)

''The Devil's Rejects'' (2005) (director, producer and writer)

''Halloween'' (2007) (director, producer and writer)

''Halloween II'' (2009) (director, producer and writer)

''Lords of Salem'' (2012) (director, producer and writer)

''Tyrannosaurus Rex '' (TBA)

;Animated films

''The Haunted World of El Superbeasto'' (2009) (director, producer and writer)

;TV work

''Pee-wee's Playhouse'' (production assistant, unknown episodes)

''Headbangers Ball'' (guest, numerous episodes)

''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' (guest, 1 episode, 1997)

''CSI: Miami'' (director, 1 episode, 2010)

''WWE Raw'' (Raw Guest Host, 1 episode, 2010)

''Extreme Makeover Home Edition'' (Guest, Season 8 - Episode 6, 2010)

;Other

''Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'' as himself (interview)

''Werewolf Women of the SS'' (2007)

;TV Commercial

''Woolite Commercial: "Torture"'' (director, 2011)

Discography

White Zombie

''Soul-Crusher'' (1987)

''Make Them Die Slowly'' (1989)

''La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1'' (1992)

''Astro Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head'' (1995)

Solo

''Hellbilly Deluxe'' (1998)

''The Sinister Urge'' (2001)

''Educated Horses'' (2006)

''Hellbilly Deluxe 2'' (2010)

Composer

''Twisted Metal III'' (1998) (video game)

''Gran Turismo 2'' (1999) (video game)

Solo band members

;Current

Rob Zombie – vocals (1997–current)

John 5 – guitar, backing vocals (2005–current)

Piggy D. – bass guitar, backing vocals (2006–current)

Ginger Fish - drums, percussion (2011-current)

;Former

Mike Riggs – guitar (1997–2003)

John Tempesta – drums, percussion, vocals (1997–2004)

Blasko – bass guitar, vocals (1997–2006)

Tommy Clufetos – drums, percussion (2005–2010)

Joey Jordison – drums, percussion (2010–2011)

References

Discovering "The Haunted World of El Superbeasto" With Rob Zombie

External links

ZombieFAQ

Category:1965 births Category:American film directors Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American male singers Category:American music video directors Category:American vegetarians Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Massachusetts Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:People from Haverhill, Massachusetts Category:Pratt Institute alumni Category:Rob Zombie members Category:White Zombie members Category:Horror film directors Category:American baritones

bg:Роб Зомби cs:Rob Zombie da:Rob Zombie de:Rob Zombie et:Rob Zombie es:Rob Zombie eo:Rob Zombie fa:راب زامبی fr:Rob Zombie it:Rob Zombie lt:Rob Zombie hu:Rob Zombie nl:Rob Zombie ja:ロブ・ゾンビ no:Rob Zombie pl:Rob Zombie pt:Rob Zombie ru:Роб Зомби sco:Rob Zombie simple:Rob Zombie sk:Rob Zombie fi:Rob Zombie sv:Rob Zombie th:ร็อบ ซอมบี uk:Роб Зомбі