Hard Rock
Bill Maher to “Nirvana Baby” Spencer Elden: “Stop Being Such a F**king Baby”
Bill Maher didn’t mince words when he addressed the recent lawsuit brought against Nirvana by Spencer Elden, who was photographed 30 years ago as the naked baby on the cover of Nevermind. During the most recent episode of his Real Time show on HBO, Maher told Elden to “stop being such a f**king baby.” Back in August, Elden sued surviving Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, the estate of Kurt Cobain, and other parties for sexual exploitation, alleging the underwater photo of him as a four-month-old on the iconic album cover amounted to child pornography. He is seeking at least $150,000 in damages from each of the defendants, who also include Courtney Love, Universal Music Group, photographer Kirk Weddle, and drummer Chad Channing (who barely appears on Nevermind after being...
Jerry Cantrell’s Brighten Shines a Light Back on His Stellar Solo Work: Review
The Lowdown: As one of the main creative forces of Alice in Chains for decades, singer-guitarist Jerry Cantrell is responsible for penning some of rock’s all-time great guitar riffs. He has remained busy with Alice in Chains (regularly issuing albums and touring after the arrival of singer William DuVall in 2006), and as a result, his solo career took a backseat — his last solo offering, Degradation Trip, dropped all the way back in 2002. So, nearly 20 years later, Cantrell is ready to go at it solo once more with Brighten. For the new album, he enlisted the aid of such renowned names as Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, ex-Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato (who supplies background vocals), and producer/composer Tyler Bates, among several additional respected musicians. The Good:...
Mastodon Explore Every Facet of Their Musical Language on Hushed and Grim: Review
The Lowdown: The four-year wait for Mastodon’s eighth studio album, Hushed and Grim, felt like an eternity. As one of the definitive modern metal bands, the group has displayed a level of craftsmanship that’s elevated its discography to the top of the heap. There’s a reason Mastodon garnered so many Metallica comparisons early in their career; not that they sounded alike, but rather, people could sense that the Atlanta quartet were going places. After releasing four now-considered-classic LPs, the band took a similarly mainstream turn, and for good reason. Mastodon had amassed a global audience that yearned for their cracking brand of prog-tinged sludge metal. If the wait for Hushed and Grim felt long, it’s because Mastodon were prepping a double-album opus spanning 15 tracks — a huge unde...
Mastodon Release Hushed and Grim, First New Album in Four Years: Stream
Atlanta metal band Mastodon have released their much-anticipated eighth studio album, Hushed and Grim, via Reprise Records. As Troy Sanders explained to Heavy Consequence, the new double album is deeply personal for Mastodon. Late band manager Nick John served as the inspiration for the set, as the band chronicled his battle with pancreatic cancer. “He was monumental in our existence,” Sanders says. “Almost as important, or more important, than being our band’s manager, he was our dear friend. I always called him my friend before I called him, ‘Oh, He’s also our manager.’ That’s kind of how our relationship worked, not just with me and him but all four of us in the band. He scooped us up in 2004 and, without compromising anything at all, brought us to many bigger and better stages all over...
Wolfgang Van Halen Wraps First Mammoth WVH Tour: 45 Shows, a Sprained Ankle, and Rocking with GN’R
Wolfgang Van Halen had a whirlwind first tour with his solo band Mammoth WVH. Over the course of three months, he played 45 shows, sprained his ankle, dealt with a positive COVID-19 case within his touring party, and rocked the stage with Guns N’ Roses. That’s one helluva ride! Moreover, Wolfgang did all of that with a heavy heart, as he is still mourning the loss of his legendary father, Eddie Van Halen, who passed away in October of last year. The singer and multi-instrumentalist took time out to thank his band, crew, GN’R, and his fans for a memorable experience. On Instagram, he wrote the following: “3 months and 45 shows later, the first @mammothwvh tour is officially complete. Thanks so much to our incredible crew that helped make everything happen, thanks to my boys @franksidoris @j...
High School Marching Band Drummer in Gyroscope Even Impresses Tommy Lee
A viral TikTok video of a high school marching band drummer performing inside a gyroscope has impressed the master of stunt drumming, Tommy Lee. The Mötley Crüe drummer has praised the young musician for “refusing to play drums the way they were intended to be played!” A TikTok user by the name of Meredith Sanders posted the clip on Monday. The video, which has racked up 7.5 million views as of this posting, shows a young woman named Kenzie Conner playing drums in the Westfield High School marching band in Virginia while spinning around in a giant gyroscope, with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” providing the soundtrack. We here at Consequence shared the video on our Instagram, where Tommy Lee commented, “Hahahahah!!! Yes….Another man refusing to play drums the way they were intended to be pla...
Serj Tankian Tests Positive for COVID-19, System of a Down Postpone Concerts
System of a Down have been forced to postpone their October 22nd and 23rd concerts in Los Angeles after frontman Serj Tankian tested positive for COVID-19. The band was set to perform alongside Korn, Helmet, and Russian Circles. In a social media statement, SOAD wrote that, “Despite multiple precautionary measures, Serj has unfortunately tested positive for COVID. We’re sorry to disappoint our amazing fans with this last minute news.” Check out the band’s full remarks below. The two shows have been rescheduled for February 4th and 5th, and Korn, Helmet, and Russian Circles will join them for the makeup dates. The delay will be especially bitter for Korn fans, who have seen three members of the group come down with the novel coronavirus. Advertisement Related Video Tickets for the post...
Mastodon Unveil Doomy New Song “Sickle and Peace”: Stream
Mastodon are coming up on the release of a new album, Hushed and Grim, which marks their first-ever double album. In advance of the record’s release, the Atlanta metal giants have premiered the new song “Sickle and Peace.” “Sickle and Peace” is the third track Mastodon have unveiled off Hushed and Grim, the first two being “Pushing the Tides” and “Teardrinker.” The new song features groovy, pulsating bass and drums, in typical Mastodon fashion, coupled with doomy guitars and powerful vocals. Heavy Consequence recently caught up with Mastodon singer-bassist Troy Sanders via Zoom video to talk about the inspiration behind Hushed and Grim. Advertisement “The album is about losing our manager, Nick John, just over three years ago to a battle with pancreatic cancer,” Sanders said. “He was monum...
Corey Taylor, Billy Idol, Perry Farrell and More to Perform Classic Sex Pistols and Lou Reed Albums for Charity
Guitarists Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction) and Billy Morrison (Billy Idol’s band) have announced their latest “Above Ground” charity event. The star-studded benefit show will take place December 20th at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, and feature full performances of Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols and Lou Reed’s Transformer. Joining Navarro and Morrison on the bill are Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction) and his wife Etty Lau Farrell, Billy Idol, Steve Stevens (Billy Idol band), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), and Franky Perez (Deadland Ritual, Apocalyptica), with more artists to be announced shortly. The concert will benefit MusiCares, with a focus on raising awareness on mental health. “We are so grateful...
System of a Down Return to Stage, Perform Two Comeback Singles Live for First Time: Watch
System of a Down just played their first concert since the pandemic started, rocking a 30-song set at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday (October 15th). The show featured the live debuts of last year’s surprise singles “Genocidal Humanoidz” and “Protect the Land.” The concert, the band’s first since May 2019, saw SOAD perform 11 songs off their landmark 2001 album Toxicity, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary — including such favorites as “Chop Suey,” “Psycho,” “Aerials,” and more. They performed “Genocidal Humanoidz” for the first time live in the first half of the set, while “Protect the Land” was debuted toward the end of the show. The two songs were simultaneously released in November 2020, in support of Armenia and its neighboring state Artsakh, which had come under ...
Vince Neil Rushed to Hospital After Falling Off Stage
Vince Neil was performing a concert with his solo band on Friday night (October 15th) when he took a violent fall off the stage and ended up in a hospital. The incident happened during the Mötley Crüe singer’s headlining set at the Monsters on the Mountain Festival in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Fan-filmed footage shows Neil making his way to the front of the stage, pumping up the crowd as he claps his hands with a guitar on his shoulder. Suddenly he takes a step and free falls off the stage. According to TMZ, there was a gap between a speaker and the stage that Neil apparently didn’t notice, falling down at least four feet to the concrete floor below. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Advertisement Related Video Bassist Dana Strum later addressed the crowd, saying, “The truth i...
Korn Drummer Is Third Member of Band to Test Positive for COVID-19 on US Tour
Korn have had a rough go of it on their current tour. The band has had three separate members test positive for COVID-19 during the outing, the most recent being drummer Ray Luzier. A few shows into the US trek in August, singer Jonathan Davis contracted COVID-19, forcing the band to postpone a number of shows on the tour. Just a couple shows after David returned to the stage, guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer tested positive in September, but the band resumed touring, enlisting J.R. Bareis of fellow Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch’s side project Love and Death. Today (October 14th), Korn informed fans that Luzier has just tested positive, as well, stating: “Unfortunately, Ray has tested positive for COVID, and he will not be playing the next three shows in Vegas, Fresno, and Oakland. KORN...
