Heavy Music News
Kerry King Says Post-Slayer Project Will Be “F**king Good”
Kerry King has again teased his post-Slayer project, saying that it will be “f**king good” and that he would have already toured with his new mystery group had it not been for the pandemic. After recently stating that he felt Slayer “quit to too early” when they called it a day after their final 2019 show, the guitarist is now looking ahead to the future. King previously hinted that he had two records’ worth of material for his post-Slayer band, but has remained tight-lipped about the specifics. “I’m dragging my feet on letting the world know what I’m doing because there’s no rush,” King told Metal Hammer in a new interview. “I have a tour that I’m considering doing, but I’m not going to announce a band, I’m not going to announce a record, I’m not going to announce anything. But you will s...
James Hetfield Recalls When Metallica Recruited Another Singer as Their Frontman
As the frontman of Metallica, James Hetfield is one of heavy metal’s most recognizable singers. However, had the iconic band gotten its wish, he may have been better known solely as the group’s rhythm guitarist. Hetfield hosts a new segment called “Road Dog Brothers” on the Mandatory Metallica channel on SiriusXM, and in it he recalled a time when the band offered the lead vocalist job to Armored Saint’s John Bush. Hetfield began, “A lot of [our] early memories were celebrated with a band called Armored Saint, who were a fellow L.A. band back in the early ’80s.” He added, “When we were getting started, obviously John Bush was a singer we got to know really well, and really, really tried to get him into the band as a singer. It didn’t work out. He was dedicated and very in love with what he...
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...
In Photos: Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Fever 333, and Code Orange Bring “Knotfest Roadshow” to New Jersey
Slipknot invaded the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey, on Sunday (October 10th), headlining the “Knotfest Roadshow” with support from Killswitch Engage, Fever 333, and Code Orange. On an overcast day, Code Orange opened the festivities with a fiery eight-song set, including five tunes from their genre-defying 2020 album, Underneath. The sociopolitical-minded Fever 333, who have established themselves as one of rock’s most dynamic live acts over the past few years, were up next. Singer Jason Aalon Butler threw himself all over the stage, as he jumped off monitors, attempted a skateboard trick, and broke said skateboard during the course of their explosive seven-song set. Advertisement Related Video Killswitch Engage had the dubious task of playing right before the mighty Slipknot...
Nightwish Announce 2022 North American Tour
Celebrated symphonic metal act Nightwish have announced a 2022 North America tour in support of their latest album, Human :||: Nature. The Finnish band will kick off the 10-date run May 4th in Toronto, and wrap up with a two-night stint May 20th and 21st at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Beast in Black will support the full run, with tickets available here. The dates are part of Nightwish’s Human :||: Nature world tour, so expect to hear plenty of fresh material off the new album, as well as some classics. Human :||: Nature marked the band’s ninth studio album and arrived in April 2020. Advertisement Related Video In related news, former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon released a new solo album, Strong, last month, and will be featured in Heavy Consequence‘s “Beyond the Boys’ Club” column lat...
Ozzy Osbourne Credits “Being a Devil Worshipper” with Helping to Ward Off COVID-19
Ozzy Osbourne says that “being a devil worshipper” has helped him ward off COVID-19 in a humorous new statement. The Prince of Darkness jokingly pointed to all the times he’s been accused of Satanism over the years when asked how the pandemic has affected him and his family. “My wife had the virus; my daughter had the virus and I never got it,” Ozzy quipped to Metal Hammer. “Being a devil worshipper does have its good points!” Advertisement Related Video Taking a more serious tone, Osbourne reflected on the major health issues he’s had to face while simultaneously navigating the pandemic. He’s still coping with neck injuries suffered in 2019 after he took an unfortunate fall in the night. “I’ve struggling with this f**king broken neck, looks like I’m in for more surgery,” Ozzy said. “I’m i...
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford “Still Shook Up” by Richie Faulkner’s Heart Emergency
Judas Priest singer Rob Halford is “still shook up, emotionally” after witnessing guitarist Richie Faulkner being rushed to a hospital for what turned out to be life-saving emergency heart surgery. The metal band was forced to postpone the remaining dates on its US tour, but Halford has “good news” to share regarding Faulkner’s recovery. As we’ve reported, Faulkner was onstage performing “Painkiller” at the end of Judas Priest’s recent set at Louisville’s Louder Than Life festival when his “aorta ruptured and started to spill blood” into his chest cavity. He immediately underwent a 10-hour surgery at the Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health – Jewish Hospital, where five parts of his chest were replaced with mechanical components. Heavy Consequence just caught up with Rob Halford to di...
KISS’ Gene Simmons Has Spinal Tap Moment During Concert Platform Malfunction: Watch
KISS singer-bassist Gene Simmons nearly fell when a descending platform malfunctioned during the band’s concert on Saturday (October 9th) in Tampa, Florida. The scary moment occurred as KISS descended to the stage for the opening number “Detroit Rock City.” As Simmons, Paul Stanley, and guitarist Tommy Thayer dropped down on separate risers, the crowd gasped when Simmons’ platform suddenly became uneven and started wobbling. Simmons held his balance until the platform appeared to right itself, though it continued to shake unsteadily. The platform never made its way all the way down, leaving Simmons suspended for a while longer than his bandmates, until he finally hopped onto the stage and continued playing the song. Advertisement Related Video The incident was like something out of th...
Guitarist Frank Sidoris (Slash, Mammoth WVH) and Wife Involved in Serious Car Accident
Frank Sidoris, a guitarist in both Slash’s band and Mammoth WVH, was involved in a serious car accident with his wife on Saturday (October 9th). The couple were near Baker, California, and headed to Los Angeles when a truck towing a van of illegal weight swerved in front of them. They were forced to maneuver onto the median, clipping the front of the truck and going airborne. Thankfully, the two are alive, though Sidoris’ wife, Alexandria, fractured her L1 vertebrae and her right ring finger. Frank Sidoris called the event “truly traumatic” in an Instagram post: “A small pickup truck was towing a van of illegal weight on a single axle trailer without brake lights or turn signals in the middle lane of the 15 South just before Baker, CA. The driver hit his brakes on a downhill causing the we...
Parents Start Petition to Remove Iron Maiden-Loving School Principal for “Satanic” Imagery
A group of “concerned parents” in Canada have started a petition to remove a high school principal who loves Iron Maiden, claiming that the imagery associated with the legendary metal band is “satanic.” Sharon Burns, principal of Eden High School in St. Catherines, Ontario, has proudly displayed her love of Iron Maiden and heavy metal on her social media pages. Her Twitter handle reads, “Principal at Eden High School. Growth Mindset Practitioner. Fueled by metal & ska. & chickens.” One image she posted shows her flashing the metal horns hand gesture in front of an Iron Maiden license plate and banner. Another picture shows a figurine of Maiden’s skeletal mascot on her car dashboard with a handwritten sign that reads “Eddie 666.” Advertisement Related Video The Change.org petition, ...
Nandi Bushell and Tom Morello’s Son Roman Team Up for Climate-Action Song “The Children Will Rise Up”: Stream
Young music sensation Nandi Bushell is using her platform to get the word out on the impacts of climate change. The 11-year-old multi-instrumentalist has teamed up with Tom Morello’s 10-year-old guitar-playing son Roman for the new song “The Children Will Rise Up,” with Jack Black, activist Greta Thunberg, and Roman’s dad making cameos in the music video. Nandi recently returned to her UK home after a whirlwind trip to the United States that saw her play drums alongside Foo Fighters during their concert in Los Angeles. On that same trip, she jammed with Tom and Roman Morello, revealing that they had collaborated on a new song. Now, that new song is here, with Nandi and Roman both displaying their incredible musical skills. The pair of youngsters co-wrote “The Children Will Rise Up” with th...
Tom Morello Defends Friendship with Ted Nugent: I Have the “Right to Be Friends with Anybody”
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has once again defended his unlikely friendship with right-wing rocker Ted Nugent. The pair make an odd couple, for sure, considering Morello’s left-leaning politics and associations with anarchy and socialism. In a new interview, the guitarist stressed the importance of keeping an open dialogue with those you disagree with. “I reserve the right to be friends with anybody,” Morello told NME. “I reserve the right to confront opinions I disagree with, with open heartedness and love, or by throwing a brick. That’s up to me.” Advertisement Related Video He continued: “In the case of Ted, I know he’s become this right-wing caricature but there have been several times where I have reached him on issues that you might be surprised about. But he ...
