Alternative Metal
Unsane Launching Their Own Record Label, Reissuing Back Catalog
Unsane’s early albums have been out of print for years and missing from digital platforms, but the band has taken things into its own hands to rectify the matter. Frontman Chris Spencer will launch the imprint Lamb Unlimited label Friday (October 9th) as a means of reissuing Unsane’s back catalog and associated side-projects like the Cutthroat 9s. Finally, early Unsane releases will be accessible in digital and streaming formats. Unsane’s 1991 self-titled debut and 1993 singles comp, Singles 89-92, were issued on Matador Records and became cult favorites for fans of noise rock and post-hardcore — with some grisly album covers to boot. It just seemed cruel that these albums remain vacant from streaming services in 2020, so Spencer created Lamb Unlimited to rescue the Unsane discography...
Linkin Park Unveil Long-Lost Song “Pictureboard” as Part of Hybrid Theory 20th Anniversary Edition: Stream
Linkin Park have just released a 20th anniversary edition of their multiplatinum debut album, Hybrid Theory. Among the highlights on the extensive tracklist is the previously unreleased song “Pictureboard”. “Pictureboard” has some lore among Linkin Park fans, who’ve known it existed thanks to early live performances of the song — back when the band called itself Xero. As part of the Hybrid Theory: 20th Anniversary Edition super deluxe box set, the track appears on disc dubbed “Forgotten Demos”. While the song features the signature trade-off vocals between late singer Chester Bennington and rapper Mike Shinoda, it lacks the powerful punch of Hybrid Theory‘s multiple chart-toppers like “One Step Closer”, “Crawling”, and “In the End”. The recording is listed as a demo, and it’s evident that ...
Chino Moreno Reveals His Favorite Deftones Album
While 2000’s White Pony tops most publications’ rankings of Deftones albums (including ours), singer Chino Moreno puts another LP at No. 1 on his personal list. In a new interview, the Deftones frontman insists that the group’s sophomore effort, 1997’s Around the Fur, is his favorite release in the alt-metal act’s discography. Moreno was chatting about the band’s new LP, Ohms, with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, when the discussion turned to the singer’s favorite Deftones album. “[Around the Fur holds] a really special place for me,” said the singer. “I will say that is my favorite Deftones record.” He continued, “I honestly still think that record will always be my favorite record. One of the main reasons why… For one, we were pretty young … but we were on fire. And [our debut album] Adrenaline...
Nothing Unleash Bloody Music Video for New Song “Bernie Sanders”: Stream
Democratic nominee Joe Biden might be taking on Donald Trump in the presidential election, but Philadelphia shoegazers Nothing are still reminiscing about Senator Bernie Sanders. They’ve gone so far as to name a track after the progressive politician and release it as the new single from their upcoming album, The Great Dismal, out October 30th. Seeing Sanders’ name might bring a pang of melancholy to those who supported his presidential campaigns, which is probably what Nothing were going for. The song, like much of the band’s music, carries an unrequited sadness that’s become a staple of Nothing’s take on atmospheric heavy music. A driving drum beat and grungy chords push the track along as director Jordan Hemingway’s video provides some disturbing and gory visuals (discretion advised). “...
Deftones Embrace Their Heavy Roots on the Commanding Ohms: Review
The Lowdown: Sacramento alt-metallers Deftones tend to transform at the turns of decades. In 2000, they released their conceptual high-water mark White Pony, while 2010’s Diamond Eyes is a stellar collection of catchy-but-clever skate rock tracks. On the other hand, 2020’s Ohms isn’t a radical reinvention, but it’s a solid addition to their legacy — a surprisingly heavy one, at that. The Good: Deftones’ albums exist along a delicate axis: At the one end, singer Chino Moreno’s romantic and crooning atmospheres, and on the other, guitarist Stephen Carpenter’s sludgy, metallic slug-fests. The band is at its best when these elements are in balance, and the tension between these poles is the core of their identity. 2016’s Gore seemed like a Moreno-heavy album, focused on dreamy landscapes. In c...
Deftones Unleash New Song “Genesis” from Forthcoming Album Ohms: Stream
With one week to go before the release of the highly anticipated new Deftones album, Ohms, the band has unveiled the LP’s second single, “Genesis”. The latest song from the alt-metal act’s ninth album follows the title track, which arrived last month as the first single. “Genesis” begins with a slow build before kicking in with vicious vocals from Chino Moreno, who alternates between full-on screams and melodic singing throughout the tune. Musically, the song crushes with mighty riffs from guitarist Stephen Carpenter. The two singles — “Genesis” and “Ohms” — bookend the 12-song album as the leadoff and closing tracks, respectively. “Ohms” was the most added single at Mainstream Rock radio upon its release, and currently sits in the Top 15 of that chart. Accompanying the new song “Genesis” ...
Nothing Announce New Album The Great Dismal, Share Lead Single “Say Less”: Stream
Philadelphia shoegazers Nothing have announced their fourth album, The Great Dismal. In advance of its release, they’ve shared the lead single, “Say Less”. Building from a dancey post-punk drum beat, “Say Less” cascades into a noisy wall of feedback. The marriage of dance rhythms and guitar textures recalls My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless closer “Soon”, and director Jordan Hemingway’s ephemeral visual montage is an ideal backdrop for the song. Nothing have always favored a heavy sonic treatment, and judging by “Say Less”, The Great Dismal will be another huge, crankable record. It also touts some notable guest contributions from harpist Mary Lattimore, classical musician Shelley Weiss, and fellow Philly artist Alex G. “The Great Dismal refers to a swamp, a brilliant natural trap where survi...
Code Orange Announce Under the Skin Digital Album and DVD, Featuring Alice in Chains Cover: Watch
Code Orange are releasing their recent stripped-down livestream, Under the Skin, on DVD and digitally as a live album. The digital release arrives this Friday (September 4th), while the DVD is available for pre-order. The recent performance saw the hardcore band stripping its songs down to an acoustic format. The concept and set design for Under the Skin are an obvious ode to MTV Unplugged, and Code Orange took the homage a step further with a daring cover of Alice in Chains’ “Down in a Hole”, which the latter played on their own Unplugged nearly 25 years earlier. The final release of Under the Skin touts remastered audio and high-res video, giving the performance a final sheen that was missing from the live broadcast. The footage was shot and edited by Sunny Singh of hate5six. Live concer...
Supergroup Killer Be Killed Announce New Album, Unleash “Deconstructing Self-Destruction”: Stream
Supergroup Killer Be Killed have announced their second album, Reluctant Hero. The band — featuring The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato, Soulfly’s Max Cavalera, Mastodon’s Troy Sanders, and Converge’s Ben Koller– also shared the first single “Deconstructing Self-Destruction”. As one would expect from such an all-star collaboration, Killer Be Killed are a well-oiled metal machine. The new song sees them hitting on all cylinders, with Cavalera Sanders, and Puciato all providing vocals to the track. Reluctant Hero will arrive via Nuclear Blast on November 20th, six years after the band’s 2014 self-titled debut. During that gap, each member remained busy with their main bands, but somewhere along the line, they snuck in time to finish the Josh Wilbur-produced Reluctant Hero. “This has bee...
Sevendust Unleash “Blood from a Stone”, First Original Song from Upcoming Album: Stream
Sevendust are gearing up to release a new album called Blood & Stone, and the Atlanta-based metal act has unleashed the first original song from the upcoming set. The band previously released a cover of Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live” as the first single from Blood & Stone, but “Blood from a Stone” marks Sevendust’s first original tune since their acclaimed 2018 album All I See Is War. The track has a vintage Sevendust vibe, with thick, moving riffs from Clint Lowery and John Connolly; heavy rhythms from bassist Vince Hornsby and drummer Morgan Rose; and powerful, soaring vocals from Lajon Witherspoon. “’Blood from a Stone’ was inspired by the endurance and threshold of our band, the wins and the losses, the good and bad years. That we have more to give, more to say an...
Deftones Serve Up White Pony Beer in Honor of Album’s 20th Anniversary
Deftones fans have been drinking in the sensational sounds of White Pony for 20 years. Now, they can actually consume “White Pony” beer, as the alt-metal act has announced a new IPA named after their 2000 landmark album. In addition to prepping the release of a brand-new album titled Ohms, due September 25th, Deftones have been commemorating the 20th anniversary of White Pony in style. Previously, the band launched a limited-edition merch capsule, and revealed that they are working on a reissue of the LP, complete with a bonus disc of remixes titled “Black Stallion”. Now, add beer to the White Pony celebration. Deftones have teamed up with San Diego brewery Belching Beaver to create the double dry hopped IPA, and the description is nearly as appealing as Chino Moreno’s soaring vocals: “Whi...
30 Years Ago, Alice in Chains and Jane’s Addiction Gave Rise to ’90s Alternative Rock
Alice in Chains’ Facelift, via Columbia / Jane’s Addiction’s Ritual de lo habitual, via Warner Bros. The rise of ’90s grunge and alternative rock can be traced back to a handful of significant moments, but one date in particular stands out: August 21st, 1990. On that same day, Alice in Chains and Jane’s Addiction released Facelift and Ritual de lo habitual, respectively, signaling a new shift toward textural, artful, heavy music. The albums parallel one another in myriad ways — from sonic congruencies to shared influences — a point best illustrated by mutual producer Dave Jerden, who worked on both LPs successively. The addictive ethereal vocals of Perry Farrell and the group’s eclectic blend of metal, post-punk, and funk had already caused a turning point in pop music wh...
