Heavy Metal
Deftones Postpone Summer Tour with Gojira and Poppy Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Fans holding out hope that Deftones might still tour North America in 2020 will have to wait until next year to see the alt-metal veterans. The band has officially postponed its summer tour with Gojira and Poppy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but plans to announce rescheduled dates for 2021. The news of the postponement comes as no surprise, as singer Chino Moreno recently told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that “it’s not looking like we’re going to be able to get out there this summer.” In that same interview, Moreno revealed that Deftones had originally planned to deliver a new album to their fans this summer, but now the release date is “something that we’re going to have to figure out.” The tour was slated to run from July 27th in Portland, Oregon, through September 5th in Denver, Colorado. T...
Dee Snider Announces Live Release, Unveils New Song “Prove Me Wrong”: Stream
Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider will release a new live album and home video, For the Love of Metal Live, on July 31st. The package also includes one studio recording, “Prove Me Wrong”, which Snider is sharing ahead of the album’s release. The track is a fun sing-along stomper that is fairly thrashy for Snider. Like with Twisted Sister’s classics “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock”, Snider takes a stance against his naysayers and uses the chorus to emphasize his point. “‘Prove Me Wrong’ are words that I’ve thought in my head since the day I began rocking,” Snider reflected in a press release. “I had a monster chip on my shoulder and dared the world to knock it off… nobody ever could. At this point in my career I thought I’d let everybody in on what has kept be going all these man...
Thin “Lzzy”: Halestorm, Judas Priest, and Alice in Chains Members Rock Thin Lizzy’s “Bad Reputation”: Watch
An all-star group of musicians has come together for a quarantine version of the Thin Lizzy classic “Bad Reputation”. Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale is joined by current and former members of Judas Priest, Alice in Chains, and Machine Head for the socially distant performance. Along with Lzzy’s vocals, the rousing rendition of the title track from Thin Lizzy’s 1977 Bad Reputation album features Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez, and former Machine Head members Phil Demmel (guitar) and Dave McClain (drums). Demmel posted the performance on his YouTube channel, writing, “I invited my buds Dave McClain (Sacred Reich/Machine Head), Richie Faulkner (Judas Preist), Mike Inez (Alice in Chains, Ozzy, BLS, pretty much every band) and resident Bad-Ass Lzzy Ha...
Body Count Unleash Socially Distant Video for “Point the Finger” Featuring Power Trip’s Riley Gale: Stream
Body Count’s Ice-T, photo by Matt Akana / Power Trip’s Riley Gale, photo by Jon Hadusek Thrash veterans Body Count released their new album, Carnivore, in early March, as the coronavirus pandemic was unfolding. The band couldn’t gather to shoot a video for the album’s latest single, “Point the Finger”, so they all filmed themselves on cell phones while in quarantine. The track and video feature appearances by Power Trip’s Riley Gale, who has become one of the most distinct voices in modern thrash, particularly crossover thrash — of which Power Trip and Body Count are mutual practitioners. The video was produced and edited by Jay Rodriguez and begins with a monologue from Ice-T, who pulls down a bandana face covering and addresses the camera: “What’s up everybody? You’re not bei...
Volbeat Officially Cancel US Tour After Previously Hoping to Reschedule the Outing
Like most bands, Volbeat were recently forced to postpone their spring US tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Danish rockers originally hoped to reschedule the dates for the fall, but have now decided to outright cancel the outing, which was set to feature support from Clutch and The Picturebooks. The tour was slated to run from April 4th in Tempe, Arizona, to May 13th in New York City. Upon announcing its postponement back in March, Volbeat informed fans that they were looking to reschedule the tour for September and October. Now, with a growing consensus that concerts won’t return to the States in earnest until 2021, the band revealed today (May 18th) that the tour is officially canceled. Volbeat issued the following statement explaining the decision: “We hate to be another band start...
Iron Maiden Singer Bruce Dickinson’s Longtime Wife Paddy Bowden Dies in Tragic Accident
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson’s estranged wife Paddy Bowden died Monday as the result of an unspecified “tragic accident.” Bowden was married to Dickinson for 29 years, but the couple had recently separated. The Independent reports that Bowden’s body was found at the home the couple once shared in the Chiswick district of West London. Together, Dickinson and Bowden had three children: sons Austin and Griffin, and daughter Kia. Austin is the lead singer of the metal band As Lions, while Griffin is the vocalist in the metalcore group SHVPES (pronounced “Shapes”). Bruce Dickinson issued a brief statement, saying, “This is a terrible tragedy which appears to be a tragic accident. Our children Austin, Griffin and Kia and I are devastated. Out of respect for Paddy we won’t be making any fur...
Tool’s Adam Jones Shares Demo of Fear Inoculum Song “Descending”: Stream
Tool guitarist Adam Jones has shared an early demo of the Fear Inoculum song “Descending”. In introducing the one-minute clip on Instagram, Jones gave a peek into the band’s songwriting process. He said that bassist Justin Chancellor initially conceived of a “killer” melody in 7/8 time, which eventually became the main verse. Together they “jammed it a LONG time trying to find other cool working parts,” and Jones eventually came up with the chorus and the 9/8 “turnaround.” Between the written description and the demo itself, it’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how the mathy metalheads develop their intricate songs. Jones wrote, “Writing music Justin and I normally bring in potential riffs and demos – then the 3 of us tear them apart like wolves while [Danny Carey] ...
Gojira to Stream “Live at Red Rocks” Concert as They Wrap Up New Album
Gojira are completing work on their forthcoming seventh studio album. To tide fans over, the band is streaming its previously unreleased 2017 concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. The show, at which Gojira opened for headliners Opeth, came in the midst of the French metal act’s tour in support of 2016’s Magma album. The open air venue is nestled in the side of a mountain, 10 miles west of Denver — surroundings that the band considered worthy of hiring a professional film crew to shoot the show. The 11-song setlist drew mostly from Magma and 2005’s From Mars to Sirius. The band will also be selling limited-edition merchandise to commemorate the show, including a special edition t-shirt and poster. The apparel and memorabilia will be available during the stream, which will...
#MetallicaMondays: Watch a Young Metallica Play Kill ‘Em All in Chicago in 1983
Metallica are offering up an extra-special treat for the latest installment of their weekly #MetallicaMondays streaming series. This evening (May 18th), the band is airing an August 1983 show from The Metro in Chicago, filmed a few weeks after the thrash masters released their now-legendary debut album, Kill ‘Em All. To put the show in perspective, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett were both 20 years old; Lars Ulrich was 19; and the late, great Cliff Burton was 21. The entire show was comprised of nine songs from Kill ‘Em All, including classics like “Hit the Lights” and “Seek and Destroy”. Plus it featured a guitar solo that ended with fans grabbing and destroying the instrument. Two of the Metro performances — “No Remorse” and “Metal Militia” — were featured on Metallica’s Cliff ‘Em All ho...
Mike Patton Performs “Speak Spanish or Die” in Quarantine with Stormtroopers of Death: Watch
Faith No More singer Mike Patton has delivered a quarantine performance of “Speak Spanish or Die” with reunited members of Stormtroopers of Death (made up of current and former Anthrax members). The song is a lyrical reworking of title track from S.O.D.’s 1985 debut album, Speak English or Die. Last month, the S.O.D. members — Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian, along with former Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker — unveiled a quarantine performance of “March of the S.O.D.” It marked the first activity from the crossover thrash band since 2007. Patton, meanwhile, had performed “Speak Spanish or Die” during the February run of reunion shows by Mr. Bungle, who featured Scott Ian in their live lineup for those gigs. In the socially distant version of the track, Patton is seen wit...
Remembering Ronnie James Dio 10 Years After His Passing: Interview with Wendy Dio
It’s been 10 years since the world lost one of the greatest voices of heavy metal and hard rock, the iconic Ronnie James Dio. The singer had a legendary career, ranging from doo-wop bands in the late ’50s to a reunion with his onetime Black Sabbath bandmates as Heaven & Hell in the 21st century. Born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Dio was raised in Cortland, New York, and became a trumpet player at an early age. Eventually, his vocal talents led him to singing in a variety of doo-wop and rock ‘n’ roll bands (including Ronnie Dio and the Redcaps). By the time he became the singer in Elf (earlier going by the name the Electric Elves), he began to find the style of music that best suited his voice – hard rock, and later, heavy metal. Elf opened shows ...
Alice Cooper Unveils New Song “Don’t Give Up” to Offer Encouragement During Pandemic: Stream
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect communities around the world, Alice Cooper is offering words of encouragement in the form of a new song, “Don’t Give Up”. The rock legend shared the music video for the track, which was recorded remotely during isolation. Cooper recently invited fans to participate in the video, which features his band members performing separately while in quarantine. More than 20,000 fans responded, with many of them seen holding signs of the song’s positive lyrics in the clip. “‘Don’t Give Up’ is out today,” Cooper said in a press release. “It’s a song about what we’ve all been going through right now and about keeping our heads up and fighting back together. And whatever you do — don’t give up!” The song is pure positivity, a mid-tempo rocker that begins ...
