Alternative Metal
P.O.D. on 20 years of Satellite, “Alive”‘s Success, and HR from Bad Brains’ Pet Parakeets
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS P.O.D.’s Sonny Sandoval grabs some talk time with Kyle Meredith to talk about the 20th anniversary of their 2001 album Satellite. Advertisement Related Video The lead singer dives into the breakthrough success of the LP, why the song “Alive” connected with fans so much, the young people he was thinking of with “Youth of a Nation,” and the song’s parallels to the school shootings that continue to happen today. Sandoval also remembers what it was like to navigate success during the era of 9/11 and also shares a fun story about recording a punk track with HR from Bad Brains, who brought along two parakeets. Listen to this new epi...
Vended (Sons of Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Clown) Unleash Debut Single “Asylum”: Stream
Vended, the band that features the sons of Slipknot members Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan, have unleashed their debut single “Asylum.” With such an impressive metal pedigree, it’s no surprise that “Asylum” is a brutal track, featuring scalding vocals from 19-year-old singer Griffin Taylor (a dead ringer for his dad) and hard-hitting rhythmic patterns from drummer Simon Crahan. There’s a definite groove-metal and nu-metal influence, along with a streak of hardcore punk that should get the pits circling. While they’re not clad in masks, the band’s press photo does feature some theatrical makeup, giving the group a sinister appearance as Griffin appears obscured by blue paint. Vended’s lineup is rounded out by Cole Espeland (lead guitar), Connor Grodzicki (rhythm guitar), and Jer...
Mental Metal: Tool’s Ænima Turns 25
Dusting ‘Em Off is a rotating, free-form feature that revisits a classic album, film, or moment in pop-culture history. This piece celebrates Tool’s acclaimed sophomore album Ænima. Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in 2016, but has been updated in 2021 to reflect the 25th anniversary of Ænima. Many musicians have been influenced by books, but there seems to be something especially literary about the genres of hard rock and metal. This goes double for horror and fantasy fiction: Led Zeppelin meditated on The Lord of the Rings, Black Sabbath wailed about “The Wizard,” and Metallica thrashed to the monster Cthulu. Others have drawn imagery out of the Bible, Norse mythology, or the bloodier epochs of European history. For their second album, Tool drew on the writings of Carl Jun...
Corey Taylor Debuts Creepy New Mask at Slipknot’s First Show in 18 Months
Slipknot played a concert for the first time in 18 months on Saturday night (September 4th), performing a headlining set at the Rocklahoma festival. For the band’s long-awaited return to the stage, singer Corey Taylor sported a creepy new mask. Taylor is coming off a recent bout with COVID-19, having contracted the virus at the end of his summer solo tour. After a rough battle in which he said “it’s the worst I’ve ever been sick in my life,” he thankfully reported that he tested negative about 10 days ago, giving him the all-clear to tour with Slipknot. The singer believed he likely caught COVID from a “selfish” concertgoer. For Slipknot’s show at Rocklahoma, Taylor rocked a skeletal mask with beady eyes and Chelsea-smile stitching around the mouth. The change comes in the middle of the ba...
Korn’s Jonathan Davis “Struggling with COVID After-Effects,” Sits on Throne While Performing
Korn singer Jonathan Davis is still “struggling with COVID after-effects,” according to guitarist Brian “Head” Welch. Davis recently performed with the aid of a throne to sit in during a concert this past Friday (August 27th) in Tinley Park, Illinois. It marked Korn’s return to the road after Davis revealed his positive COVID test on August 16th, resulting in the postponement of six shows and the cancellation of two concerts on the band’s current US tour. The metal vocalist is clearly still feeling the effects of the virus, which can cause longterm, lingering physical and mental issues long after an individual tests negative. Fan footage from Friday’s Illinois show and Saturday’s Noblesville, Indiana, concert sees Davis sitting on a shiny throne, which is just as decadent as his H.R. ...
Limp Bizkit Cancel All 2021 Festival Performances, Promise New Songs in “Rapid Succession”
Limp Bizkit have canceled all of their remaining 2021 festival appearances after previously scrapping their summer headlining tour. The band has also revealed that more new music is on the way. When BIzkit nixed their summer outing after just a few dates, frontman Fred Durst didn’t get into specifics, but implied to Billboard that the tour cancellation was based on safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. As cases surge, live music is once again grappling with solutions to curb the virus, as venues and festivals institute vaccine requirements and/or proof of a negative COVID test. Limp Bizkit aren’t taking any chances, foregoing all upcoming performances, including scheduled appearances at the festivals Aftershock, Blue Ridge, Rebel Rock, and Rocklahoma. The band posted the followin...
Deafheaven Release New Album Infinite Granite: Stream
Deafheaven have released their new album, Infinite Granite, which is now available to stream. With their fifth studio album, Deafheaven have shifted away from the atmospheric black metal that influenced past material, embracing the shoegaze side of their sound. Most notably, vocalist George Clarke has adopted a clean-singing style. Despite some initial shock from longtime fans, the band dispelled skepticism with a string of strong singles. There’s no denying Clarke’s new singing style still fits well within Deafheaven’s heavy soundscapes, even if it took some time for listeners to adjust. Advertisement Related Video To achieve the new sound, the band enlisted producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, best known as Beck’s longtime bassist and for his work with electronic-based pop artists such as M83...
Primus Kick Off Rush Tribute Tour in Nampa, Idaho: Video + Setlist
Primus have officially kicked off their Rush tribute tour, playing the opening date of the outing on Tuesday night (August 10th) in Nampa, Idaho. Over the weekend, Primus’ Les Claypool revealed he was “learning from the master” and practicing Rush songs with singer-bassist Geddy Lee himself in preparation for the outing. Based on fan footage from the Idaho concert, it sounds like the hands-on training paid off. Claypool and company covered Rush’s 1977 masterpiece A Farewell to Kings in its entirety, nailing versions of “Closer to the Heart” and prog epics such as “Cygnus X-1” — the latter being the lone song from the album that had been previously covered by Primus. Advertisement Related Video The Rush set was preceded by a set of Primus songs, and then followed by an an encore of “Wynona’...
System of a Down Announce Additional 2021 Shows with Faith No More and Russian Circles
System of a Down have announced three new US shows with Faith No More and Russian Circles. The new gigs come in addition to a previously scheduled two-night stand in Los Angeles, also featuring the three bands. The newly announced concerts take place October 15th in Las Vegas; October 16th in Fresno, California; and October 18th in Oakland, California. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (August 13th) via Ticketmaster, with a pre-sale beginning Wednesday (August 11th) at 10 a.m. PT. The shows will lead up to the aforementioned concerts on October 22nd and 23rd at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles. Those gigs were originally set to take place in May of 2020, but were initially rescheduled for May 2021 and then postponed again until October 2021 due to the pandemic. ...
Slipknot’s Clown: “I’m Not Ever Going to Stop Wearing a Mask, COVID or Not”
Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan says he will continue wearing protective face masks, even when COVID (hopefully) goes away someday. The metal musician notes that “people are filthy all over the world” as one of the reasons he will never stop masking up. Clown, of course, has been wearing a stage mask as a member of Slipknot for the past 25 years or so, but as he tells Forbes in a new interview, he’ll continue sporting a protective face mask off the stage for the rest of his life. “I’m not ever going to stop wearing a mask, COVID or not,” said Crahan. “I’ve been in this business 25 years, and people are filthy all over the world. So when I had to be in the studio and I was asked to put on a mask, it didn’t bother me, it was business as usual.” He added, “I mean I’m glad at least...
Slipknot Issue Touching Statement on the Passing of Founding Drummer Joey Jordison, Share Tribute Video
Slipknot have issued a touching statement on the death of founding drummer Joey Jordison, who passed away this week at age 46. The band also shared a tribute video of the late drummer on social media. Jordison was a founding member of Slipknot and played in the band until his departure in December 2013. He later revealed that he suffered from transverse myelitis, a neurological disease that limited his the ability to play the drums. Slipknot released an official statement via Twitter on Friday (July 30th): “Our hearts go out to Joey’s family and loved ones at this time of tremendous loss. Joey Jordison’s art, talent, and spirit could not be contained or be held back. Joey’s impact on Slipknot, on our lives, and on the music that he loved, is incalculable. Without him there would be no us. ...
Joey Jordison’s 10 Most Jaw-Dropping Slipknot Drum Moments
The tragic passing of Joey Jordison at the age of 46 this week meant the loss of one of modern metal’s greatest drummers. As a founding member of Slipknot, he influenced countless young musicians with both his skills behind the kit and his prolific songwriting. Jordison played drums in Slipknot from 1995 through 2013, and appeared on the band’s 1999 self-titled LP, 2001’s Iowa, 2004’s Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses, and 2008’s All Hope Is Gone. His frenetic, idiosyncratic playing came to define Slipknot’s percussive sound, and he was responsible for co-writing a number of their best-known tracks. Following Jordison’s death, two of metal’s best all-time drummers — Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs) and Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Misfits) — praised Jordison as an “incre...
