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photograph by Tom Barnes

California-based metalcore group Of Mice & Men have premiered a new song, "Contagious." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!

'Cold World' will be released September 9 via Rise Records.

 

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Once again, metal has been appropriated by the mainstream and yet again, self-proclaimed "Bad Girl" Riri is to blame. During the performance of her hit "Bitch Better Have My Money" at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, Rihanna debuted a new logo which appears to rip off of the logo Sepultura used for the 'Morbid Visions' EP. In addition to be featured on a back drop behind the singer, her backup dancers wore shirts with the same logo.

The pop artist is no stranger to incorporating metal themes into her style as she has been spotted rocking numerous metal shirts from bands such as Krokus and Judas Priest. She and counterpart Kanye West have even been seen wearing sweat suits with dupe "metal" patches fastened to them. Even ex-boyfriend Chris Brown has been spotted wearing a jacket clad with iconic hardcore and punk patches. In fact, she is more closely tied to metal than people might realize; in addition to working with Slash for her song "Rockstar 101," her touring and studio guitarist is none other than Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt.

While we aren't going to speculate whether or not Rihanna is spinning Krokus' "Screaming in the Night" or Sepultura's "Arise" in her spare time, stranger things have happened. Besides, it's still nice to see the underdog that is metal getting a little nod in the mainstream, however futile it might be.

Do you think Rihanna is crossing a line and perpetuating metal culture or do you think she's a genuine fan? Let us know in the comments!

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In honor of Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' turning 30 this year, the band has issued "Metallica: Back to the Front; A Fully Authorized Visual History of the 'Master of Puppets' Album and Tour." The two minute video, which can be viewed below, has featured all four current Metallica members explaining what the monumental album meant to them.

"'Master of Puppets' seemed to be kind of the culmination of the journey that had started, I guess, four, five years before with James and I getting together, writing some songs, and Kirk and Cliff joining at separate times within basically six months, and that lineup kind of settling," explained drummer Lars Ulrich.

Guitarist Kirk Hammett went on to add "It's interesting because from the moment it was released it never went away and still has not and doesn't show any signs of it going away at all."

One of the most remarkable aspects about 'Master of Puppets,' which was the band's third studio album, is that it is the last album to feature late bassist Cliff Burton. Burton tragically died in a bus accident on the road during the band's European leg of the 'Damage Inc' tour, which was in support of the album's release.

To celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the album's debut, Metallica will be issuing 'Metallica: Back to the Front,' a book that gives an in depth glimpse to the making of 'Master of Puppets,' on September 13. The book will feature interviews with the band as well as fans and producer Flemming Rasmussen, photos, original artwork and lyrics ideas, and archival materials.

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Hundred Suns is the new project from Norma Jean's ​Cory ​Brandan, ex-Every Time I Die's Ryan Leger and Dead & Divine's Chris ​LeMasters​. While the group is in the middle of its Indie Go-Go campaign to raise funds for the debut, you can check out its new track, "Bedburner." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
 
Chris ​LeMasters said, "This song 'Bedburner' is one of the very first guitar parts I came up with when I started writing the music that would eventually turn into Hundred Suns. It was more of an exercise to see if I could write an entire song using a similar riff/groove without it sounding too repetitive or boring. Once Cory/Legs dug into it and we actually worked through the song as a band, it grew into something really cool. I think this one is going to be a banger live."
 
For more on Hundred Suns, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
 

 

 

 

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The Misfits made headlines back in May by announcing that original members Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein will be reuniting as this year's Riot Fest headliners. Billed as "The Original Misfits," these shows will make it the first time since 1983 that the members will be performing together. After much speculation over who would be taking the throne, Dave Lombardo (Suicidal Tendencies, ex-Slayer) has been confirmed as the drummer.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lombardo said "The Misfits created the horror punk attitude and had a massive influence on modern rock, punk and metal. It was an easy decision for me to join them for these monumental shows. I was honored to be asked, and am very excited to be playing with the band."

In the same interview, Danzig explained the band's decision to tap Lombardo. "I first met Dave back in 1988 when Danzig did four shows with Slayer in the U.S., before the first Danzig album was released. Dave is one of the best drummers around, and I can't wait for everyone to see him pounding Misfits songs live for these special shows."

Only continued "With the immensity of the two shows we're planning together, the biggest decision we had was who is going to keep time and power this monster machine on drums? When Dave Lombardo's name was thrown into the ring, Glenn and I were immediately on the same page from the very start; a good sign of things to come. I think the darker side of punk we created with the Misfits spawned the growth and evolution of punk into thrash, and sired bands like Metallica and Slayer, just as we inspired countless others in the punk revolution."

The Misifts first Riot Fest appearance is slated for the weekend of September 2 in Denver and will be followed up by a second performance in Chicago during the weekend of September 16.

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California-based rock group (Hed)p.e. recently released its new album, 'Forever,' via Pavement Entertainment. Today, the band has teamed up with Revolver to premiere its new music video, 'Pay Me." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!
 
Frontman Jahred said, "This video is just a perfect window into the everyday life of a band on tour. It just shows us kicking back, riding, smoking, and mostly importantly SHREDDING!
 
"I like how it builds up from just straight skanging around the street to something more meaningful. It shows how fun our live shows are, and it shows how tight knit the band is as people. And damn, the song just ROCKS so HARD!"
 
For more on (Hed)p.e., follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
 
 
 

 

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photograph by Joshua Halling

Hardcore outfit Every Time I Die has premiered "C++ (Love Will Get You Killed)," the third single off of forthcoming record 'Low Teens,' which is set for release on September 23 via Epitaph Records.

The concept behind 'Low Teens' is derived from the terrifying night that frontman Keith Buckley learned that his wife had experienced a life-threatening pregnancy complication, which required the couple's daughter to be immediately removed at seven months—a procedure that caused his wife to stopped breathing after the baby was removed. Buckley abruptly left the tour and frantically sped home to be with his wife and child-to-be. "I had never felt so helpless. I could do nothing for her. I couldn't tell her it was going to be OK. I couldn't even tell her that death wouldn't be better because I had no idea yet if our daughter had even made it," Buckley told Billboard.

While the mainman's ordeal had a happy ending as both his wife and daughter pulled through, the trauma of that night impacted him, which is reflected by his lyrical contributions to the album. Buckley continued; "I didn't know what I was doing or exactly how it was working, but writing lyrics at night and feeling like I had made sense of some of my confusion gave me hope. I would take that hope into the hospital rooms. We would get more good news. I would go back to writing lyrics with confidence. Confidence made me hopeful.

"If you ever get to a moment in your life where mania and melancholy are coexisting in equal measures, it will feel like the end of the world. This song is about that moment."

Listen to "C++ (Love Will Get You Killed) below.

 

 

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photograph by Stephanie Cabral

Late Motörhead frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister has been memorialized with a lifelike bronze statue in his honor at The Rainbow Bar & Grill, the legend's favorite hangout located on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California. Sculpted by L.A.-based artist Travis Moore, the over six-foot-tall fixture was officially unveiled on Wednesday, August 24.

The statue required a team of over 20 people, five months, and a whopping $23,000 to construct. While Moore volunteered his services and worked for non-profit, Katon De Pena from underground thrash outfit Hirax helped raise the funds required to build the fixture. "Lemmy was dedicated to us. Now is our chance to say 'thank you.' Travis will create the best Lemmy sculpture on the planet," De Pena said back in January.

According to an interview with Loudwire, Moore explained that there was much deliberation regarding the statue's specs. "We just wanted to stay away from portraying him in a way that wouldn't be proper, and he needed to be rocking, a tough-looking dude with a full face and that was the idea. There was initially some debate about would he be with a guitar? Would he be sitting at the bar? Would he have a bottle of booze? There were a lot of different options, and coincidentally, even the photo that Robert took, he's standing there smoking a cigarette. We took that out, more of a liability reason, because someone could break that joker off or get caught on that."

For fans interested in seeing the memorial in person, fret not; the statue is a permanent fixture at The Rainbow.

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Rob Halford turns 65 today! In honor of The Metal God's birthday, we've compiled a list of 6 awesome facts about the leather clad legend.

1. He supports the U.S. Marine Corps
When asked by the OC Weekly about the U.S. Marine Corps pins and Army badge fastened to the singer's iconic leather jacket in Judas Priest's 'The Early Years' documentary, Halford went on to explain that his affinity for the U.S. armed forces is two sided. "One of it is based on all of the things people in the military represent, which is the simple fact of keeping us safe in this troubled world. It's also the mindset of the military which has these virtues that mean a lot to me as a person and believing in the cause, in this case a United States Marine, or a Sailor or a Green Beret. There is something very potent and personal and very deep about that conviction, discipline and dedication which I love about their service. That's not just America, but anywhere in the world really," he explained. "I'm going to stop there, and go into a completely different direction and tell you that as a gay man, the United States Marine Corps has been very attractive to me. There is something very sensual about that branch of the military and... this is great because I don't really know where my mind is going. The fact that there are now gay men and women who can openly serve their country is a wonderful thing."

2. He signs off on his emails with the initials "TMG"
In a 2013 interview with Eddie Trunk on his Sirius XM radio show, Eddie reminisced about the first time he received an email from Halford and initially scratched his head at the signature "TMG," eventually realizing that it stood for "The Metal God."

3. He was a defendant in one of the most infamous heavy metal trials
In December of 1985, two young men had committed suicide by shooting themselves after allegedly listening to the song "Better By You, Better Than Me." The families of the victims went on to sue Judas Priest, claiming that the song had subliminal messages that encouraged listeners to kill themselves. Eventually, the judge ruled in the band's favor. The trial has since served as a landmark in heavy metal music as it has exemplified the fear-mongering, misunderstanding, and demonization of heavy metal in the 90's.

4. He filled in for Black Sabbath singers Ronnie James Dio and Ozzy Osbourne
In 1992, Ozzy Osbourne announced a farewell tour after the critically acclaimed success of album 'No More Tears.' Bringing his career full circle, he invited former band Black Sabbath to open for him. The idea of this left Sabbath's then-frontman Ronnie James Dio feeling uneasy, so he declined to participate with his bandmates. Sabbath then tapped Rob Halford to perform, making history with The Metal God at the helm. Then at Ozzfest 2004, Ozzy fell ill and Halford was once again asked to fill in and front Black Sabbath. Unfortunately, fans were less than appreciative of this historical moment as they felt that they had been robbed of an opportunity to see The Ozzman.

5. Speaking of Sabbath, Halford listens to Ronnie James Dio before almost every Judas Priest show
Speaking with the OC Weekly, Halford said that he listens to the late-singer "for so many weeks at a time." He continues, "I find his voice so inspiring and so powerful for me as a singer. I always listen to Ronnie before I go on stage with Priest because I find his voice invigorating. It gets my blood pumping and gets me in the zone before I go out and do my thing with Priest. I pretty much listen to him almost every time."

6. He made a dying Judas Priest fan's dreams come true
During his appearance on VH1 Classic's Rock Icons show, an emotional Halford shares a touching story about how he had gotten in contact with a cancer stricken fan upon learning that one of his final wishes was to speak to the frontman. In the heartbreaking clip, a choked up Halford goes onto say "I don't know whether this is the right time to say this — we may have to cut this out — but just recently I was contacted by someone to speak to somebody that was about to pass from cancer. So I was able to speak to him, and he was really, really weak, but he was saying that he was a huge Priest fan and that that side of his life was so important to him, that metal was a really, really important way that he got through this horrible cancer that was eating him away."

Happy 65th birthday, Rob Halford! Here's to many more!

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Little Rock, Arkansas-based metalcore group Smoke Signals will release its new album, 'Anxiety,' on September 12. In anticipation, the band has teamed up with Revolver to premiere its new song and music video, "Epilogue." Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!

Guitarist/vocalist Britton Shrum said, "'Epilogue' is a different type of song than we are normally used to writing. We really wanted to push the limits of the music we were already creating. This band will always be about pushing the limits of our creativity. 'Epilogue' is a song about living life with depression, constantly second guessing things and then the effect that it can have on your life."

To get 'Anxiety,' visit Bandcamp. For more on Smoke Signals, follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Upcoming Smoke Signals tour dates:
9/15 - Austin, TX - Dirty Dog
9/16 - Houston, TX - The Clinic
9/17 - Fort Worth, TX - Tomcats West
9/18 - Tyler, TX - TBA

 

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