Heavy Metal
Iron Maiden Unleash New Song “Stratego”: Stream
Iron Maiden have shared the new song “Stratego,” the second single from the forthcoming album Senjutsu, out September 3rd. “Stratego” is another epic slice of heavy metal from the masters of the craft. Bruce Dickinson’s voice soars above churning riffs and well-placed synths, with the band employing some different tones than the Southern-rock inflected lead single, “The Writing on the Wall”. It’s one of two songs on Senjutsu written by guitarist Janick Gers and founding bassist Steve Harris. It was recorded back in 2019 at Guillaume Tell studios in Paris and was produced by Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley & co-produced by Steve Harris, likely during the sessions mentioned by Shirley in late 2019. Advertisement Related Video Iron Maiden broke the silence with “The Writing on the Wall,” their fi...
Corey Taylor and His Band Wear KISS Makeup, Perform Slipknot and Nine Inch Nails Songs: Watch
Fans in Springfield, Missouri, were treated to an extra special set by Corey Taylor and his solo band on Monday night (August 16th). The Slipknot frontman and company wore KISS makeup for the occasion, and beefed up their setlist with songs by Nine Inch Nails and Cheap Trick, not to mention a rare performance of Slipknot’s “Wait and Bleed.” Taylor is in the midst of the second leg of his solo tour in support of his 2020 album, CMFT. His wife Alicia Dove’s dance troupe The Cherry Bombs have been supporting the run, but were not able to open the Springfield show. In turn, Corey and his bandmates rocked the KISS makeup — with the singer taking on the Starchild (Paul Stanley) persona — and extended their normal set. As they had been doing on this leg of the tour, the band played the Slipknot c...
Jason Newsted Unboxes Metallica’s Super Deluxe “Black Album” Box Set: Watch
Metallica have shared a video of former bassist Jason Newsted unboxing the upcoming super deluxe “Black Album” box set. The massive collection arrives September 10th. In the video, Newsted sets up shop on his front porch for the lengthy unboxing. This isn’t your ordinary expanded edition, either. The sheer amount of content is mind-boggling: discs galore (the full album, bonus tracks, live cuts, alternate versions, etc.), a photo book, flyers, and copious ephemera. The goods pour out across the table as the bassist charismatically offers fans a first glimpse at the box set. As if he’s unearthing a time capsule of the era, Newsted discusses each item and even offers nostalgic anecdotes as he goes. Advertisement Related Video The pictures send him back in time to the shoots with photographer...
Underoath Announce 2022 Tour with Every Time I Die and Spiritbox
Underoath are gearing up to take center stage in 2022, as the band has announced a North American tour featuring Every Time I Die and Spiritbox. The shows will mark Underoath’s first time performing together since their 2020 Observatory livestream experience. The timing is appropriate, as Underoath recently announced that their new album, Voyeurist, will arrive January 14th. They also have two new singles out, “Hallelujah” and “Damn Excuses,” which will both appear in the set. “There was a time during the pandemic where I didn’t know if we’d ever get to tour again,” vocalist Spencer Chamberlain said in a statement regarding the upcoming run. “I would sit up at night and try to wrap my brain around a world without live music and I just couldn’t ever digest that thought.” Advertisement Relat...
Korn’s Jonathan Davis Tests Positive for COVID-19, Band Postpones and Cancels Tour Dates
Korn singer Jonathan Davis has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the nu-metal band to postpone or cancel a number of shows on their current US tour with Staind. Over the weekend, Korn announced that their Saturday show in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was postponed due to a positive COVID case within the Korn camp. On Monday (August 16th), Korn revealed that the person who contracted COVID was Davis. As a result, Korn have moved six shows, including the Scranton gig, to late September and early October. Two concerts — August 24th in Darien Center, New York, and August 25th in Syracuse, New York — have been canceled outright due to scheduling conflicts. Advertisement Related Video The full statement from Korn reads as follows: “We really appreciate your patience as we work out the next steps ...
Judas Priest’s First Show in Two Years Features Glenn Tipton Appearance and Rarities: Watch
Judas Priest were joined by guitarist Glenn Tipton for the final three songs of their set at the Bloodstock Open Air festival in the UK on Sunday (August 15th). It marked the band’s first live performance in over two years. While still an official member of Priest, Tipton retired from regular touring after revealing he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. However, the guitarist has appeared at occasional concerts over the past few years. Producer Andy Sneap (also a member of thrash acts Hell and Sabbat [UK]) has stepped in as the band’s regular touring guitarist. Tipton took the stage at Bloodstock for the final three songs — a trifecta from the legendary British Steel LP (“Metal Gods,” Breaking the Law,” and “Living After Midnight”). Advertisement Related Video The band’s...
Iron Maiden Singer Bruce Dickinson Tests Positive for COVID-19
A few days after halting his spoken-word tour due to a positive COVID-19 case within his “immediate household,” Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has revealed that he has tested positive himself. The metal legend was infected despite being vaccinated, and affirms he would be in “serious trouble” had he not gotten his shots. The 63-year-old vocalist, who battled tongue cancer in 2015, told Rolling Stone that he took a COVID test earlier this week after feeling like he was getting a cold, and that it came back positive. “I thought, ‘Oh well, shit,’” he said. “I was kind of sneezing a bit. For a couple of days, I felt a bit groggy, kind of like the flu, and that was it. And I’m 63 years old. I’ve pretty much got no doubt that had I not had the vaccine, I could be in serious trouble.” H...
Chris Stapleton Covers Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”: Stream
Chris Stapleton has covered Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” as part of The Metallica Blacklist charity covers compilation. The song is available now ahead of the collection’s September 10th release date. The “Black Album” ballad is prime material for Stapleton, who renders the song in a compelling Americana style. Stapleton’s soulful croon works perfectly atop the sparse country-rock instrumentation and the cover’s eight-minute arrangement. Once again, the upcoming Blacklist comp has served up a high-profile cover that lives up to its billing. We just heard Phoebe Bridgers’ “baroque” take on the same track, which followed the widely heard Miley Cyrus-Elton John version (also included on the Blacklist). Advertisement Related Video Meanwhile, Weezer took on “Enter Sandman,” and St. Vincen...
Trivium Announce New Album In the Court of the Dragon, Share “Feast of Fire”: Stream
Trivium have announced their new album, In the Court of the Dragon, which arrives October 8th. The band has also unveiled the video for sophomore single “Feast of Fire.” The new song is a technical gem, seamlessly blending elements of thrash and melodic metalcore as only Trivium can. Hooky vocals give way to heavy breakdowns and shred soloing, as the band cover all its extreme-metal bases. According to bassist Paolo Gregoletto, the song actually originated from the bridge of an existing composition. Apparently, the bridge section was just too good, so the band made an entirely separate song around it, which became “Feast of Fire.” Advertisement Related Video “There’s always that one song you aren’t expecting when you begin writing a new album,” Gregoletto said via a press release. “It coul...
GWAR Announce Premiere of Feature-Length Documentary This Is GWAR
GWAR have announced a new feature-length documentary called This Is GWAR, which will premiere at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. The film festival takes takes place September 23rd through 30th. The documentary is a behind-the-scenes glimpse at “the humans who’ve fought to keep [GWAR] alive for over 30 years.” It features interviews with past and present band members — including unseen footage of late GWAR founder Dave Brockie (aka Oderus Urungus) — as well as other artists such a Weird Al Yankovic, Thomas Lennon, Bam Margera, Alex Winter, and more. Bob Gorman, a longtime GWAR performer/associate and the author of the 2015 biography Let There Be GWAR, said of the new documentary: “The story that emerges shows the trials and tribulations of GWAR. The founders of this band deserve credit...
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...
