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Stone Sour, Travis Shinn
photograph by Travis Shinn

Rage Against the Machine are a band that is almost impossible to match in their sociopolitical outrage, unbridled energy and groundbreaking creativity. The group hasn't played together since 2011, but Prophets of Rage are out doing their best to keep RATM's legacy alive, and now Stone Sour have joined in that cause, by covering the iconic band's "Bombtrack" — the lead cut off the group's watershed 1992 debut album. Listen to Corey Taylor and Co.'s rendition below.

Stone Sour's bluesy, pissed-off take on Rage Against the Machine's "Bombtrack" is but one of 15 pummeling trips down memory lane featured on Hammer Goes 90s, the companion CD to Metal Hammer's new '90s-themed issue. Elsewhere on the disc, Halestorm cover Soundgarden's "Fell on Black Days," Enslaved tackle Faith No More's "Jizzlobber" and Hatebreed crush Sepultura's "Refuse/Resist."

Stone Sour released their sixth album, Hydrograd, back in June. The band recently announced a slew of fall North American shows behind the record, with support from Steel Panther, Beartooth, Man With A Mission, and Cherry Bombs on select dates. They're also set to perform at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest (a merger of Ozzy Osbourne and Slipknot's respective festivals) in early November. Find a full list of dates here.

Here's the original for comparison:

Hammer Goes 90s Track Listing:

1. Stone Sour – "Bombtrack" (Rage Against The Machine) *
2. Halestorm – "Fell On Black Days" (Soundgarden)
3. Prophets Of Rage – "Shut Em Down" (live) (Public Enemy)
4. Epica – Replica (Fear Factory)
5. Hatebreed – Refuses/Resist (Sepultura)
6. Powerwolf Night Crawler (Judas Priest)
7. Enslaved – Jizzlobber (Faith No More) *
8. Cult Of Luna – Bodies (Smashing Pumpkins)
9. 36 Crazyfists – We Die Young (Alice In Chains) *
10. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Heartwork (Carcass)
11. Whitechapel – Strength Beyond Strength (Pantera)
12. Palm Reader – Bachelorette (Bjork) *
13. The One Hundred – New Skin (Incubus) *
14. Eighteen Visions – March Of The Pigs (Nine Inch Nails) *
15. Were I Blind – Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode) *

* Metal Hammer exclusive

chelsea wolfe, Bill Crisafi
photograph by Bill Crisafi

Chelsea Wolfe is gearing up to drop her sixth studio album, Hiss Spun, on September 22nd via Sargent House. After sharing its show-stopping lead single "16 Psyche" last month, the California musician has upped the ante further with "Vex," a foreboding track which juggles black metal, industrial rock, and dark, haunting doom pop. In addition to guest vocals from Aaron Turner (Old Man Gloom, SUMAC), "Vex" features some blistering fretwork from Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen. Listen below, and check out Wolfe's upcoming tour dates here.

Here's what Wolfe has to say about her latest Hiss Spun single:

Every day, at dawn and dusk, a mysterious hum resounds in the deep sea for about an hour. The source of this hum is unknown, but it may be a kind of instinctual guide to the creatures who live in those dark depths, to rise and feed, surviving another day. I follow my own hum, pushing forward despite anxieties, nightmares, and scavengers that try to pull me down into their depths. I also acknowledge my own fragility in contrast to my own strength and anger.

"Vex" began almost as a black metal song, with a pummeling blast beat, thenBen (Chisholm) and I stripped it back to a more industrial electronic sound. Once we were in the studio, Jess Gowrie' s drums and Troy Van Leeuwen' s guitar parts began to shepherd it back toward its heavy origins.

I knew from the beginning that I wanted Aaron Turner' s voice somewhere on this album, and could hear him in my head on "Vex." I had already recorded my vocals for the song but decided to send it to Aaron without them on. Happily, the first time we played it back with both vocal parts they fit together in a very compelling way.

Turner adds:

The invitation to contribute vocals to "Vex" was a welcome—if slightly daunting—prospect. Aesthetically, it's a leap for me to meld a harsh vocal approach with music as melodically inclined as Chelsea's. Added to that was the fact that I was working remotely rather than us all being in a room together discussing the work as it was unfolding. This removed approach to collaboration imposes a distance that can be hard to overcome. That said, feeling apprehensive about trying something and reckoning with the vulnerability of potential failure is more of an impetus to do something for me rather than a deterrent - perhaps increasingly so as time goes on. In the end it was surprising how seamlessly I was able to find my way into the song, and perhaps more importantly, how enjoyable it was to work on. Aside from facing fear as a primary creative motivator, having fun making music is an eternal goal. Working on this track provided an opportunity for both and I'm thankful to CW for entrusting me with their work given the leap of faith required for all involved.

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Last year, attendees at Germany's Wacken Open Air Festival witnessed an honest-to-god miracle: Ronnie James Dio appearing in the middle of the stage during a live performance — nearly six years after his 2010 passing. The seemingly-reincarnated icon's run-through of "We Rock" resulted from neither pagan spell nor divine intervention, but rather the power of modern technology. Naturally, I'm talking about Dio's hologram, a uncanny digital clone of the icon right down to the incessant devil-horn slinging and vocal showboating.

Today, Eyellusion, the company who designed the hologram, have announced their plans to take Dio 2.0 on the road this fall. The tour, appropriately titled Dio Returns, will find "Dio" and his backing band — including Dio Disciples vocalists Tim "Ripper" Owens and Oni Logan, on select dates — playing theaters in Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. A North American leg will follow in the spring, with several festival shops planned. Find a preliminary list of dates below, and for an idea of what to expect from "Dio Returns," check out some footage of the hologram's performance at Pollstar Live!'s industry showcase earlier this year.

According to Rolling Stone, "Dio Returns" will feature a constantly-shifting setlist, with highlights spanning the legend's whole career. In addition to stand-alone classics like "Holy Diver," "Rainbow in the Dark" and "King of Rock And Roll; and Rainbow staples like "Man on the Silver Mountain," the performances will touch upon his tenure with Black Sabbath with tracks including "Neon Knights" and "Heaven and Hell." Craig Goldy, the Dio Band's guitarist, says the band hopes to perform 80-100 dates altogether. "When we perform on this tour, for me, it is a memorial service in the form of a rock concert," said Goldy. "This gives [fans] a chance to experience [Dio live] without relying on the poor-quality videos on YouTube."

In a sense, Dio Returns represents a moment of wish fulfillment for the late singer, a huge special effects fan. Wendy Dio, the rocker's widow, told Rolling Stone he's giving the trek his blessings from beyond the grave. "In 1986, for the Sacred Heart Tour, Ronnie and I created the Crystal Ball with Ronnie filmed and speaking in a suspended crystal ball effect, done with back projection, which was the closest we could get to a hologram," she said. "Ronnie was always wanting to experiment with new stage ideas and was a big Disney fan. With this said, I am sure he is giving us his blessing with this hologram project. It gives the fans that saw Ronnie perform an opportunity to see him again and new fans that never got to see him a chance to see him for the first time. We hope everyone will enjoy the show that we have all worked so hard to put together."

Nov. 30 - Helsinki, Finland – The Circus
Dec. 03 - Stockholm, Sweden – Fryshuset
Dec. 04 - Oslo, Norway – Rockefeller Music Hall
Dec. 06 - Warsaw, Poland – Progresja
Dec. 13 - Barcelona, Spain – Bikini
Dec. 15 - Santander, Spain – Escenario Santander
Dec. 17 - Bucharest, Romania – Arelene Romane
Dec. 20 - Antwerp, Belgium – Trix
Dec. 21 - Tilburg, Netherlands – 013

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Municipal Waste have never been shy about their love of the rager: Hell, they named their third album The Art of Partying. Keeping that high mark in mind, prepare to have your mind blown by the band's new "Breathe Grease" video, as metal's biggest party animals catch a bad case of rabies. Directed by filmmaker Whitey McConnaughy (naturally, of "Jackass" fame), the latest visual off Slime and Punishment chronicles the sickest house party known to man: a vomit-caked Wonderland where booze flows like water, scantily-clad women wrestle like WWE pros, and brave, ostensibly trashed individuals ride around on jet skis and tricycles, among other debauched delights. Naturally, the Virginia thrashers can't help but get in on the fun (although they're considerably laidback compared to some of the other guests, which include a guy guzzling bong water and some rando in a penguin suit). Needless to say, this is one shindig to remember. Watch below.

Suffering from FOMO? Never fear! Municipal Waste have a slew of Warped Tour dates coming up. While we can't promise a rager of "Breathe Grease" proportions, we can guarantee a good time, owing to a different kind of grease: namely, the elbow variety. "We're goofy, but we take our music very seriously and we tour really hard," the band told Revolver in a recent interview. "We make sure our instruments are tuned and everything sounds as good as it can. We care about it, and not just for us. We really want to deliver something that people want to listen to. So, we take that shit real seriously — even though we are ridiculous human beings."

Jul. 26 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Jul. 27 – Bonner Springs, KS – Providence Ampitheater
Jul. 28 – Dallas, TX – Gexa Energy Pavillion
Jul. 29 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Jul. 30 – Houston, TX – NRG Park
Aug. 01 – Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico State Intramural Field
Aug. 04 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 05 – San Diego, CA – Qualcomm Stadium
Aug. 06 – Pomona, CA – Pomona Fairplex

 

hetfield

Earlier this month, Kendall and Kylie Jenner made cringe history with a line of $125 t-shirts designed to "honor" legendary artists like Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., the Doors, Black Sabbath and Metallica — by superimposing Instagram photos of themselves on top of them. Besides being flat-out ugly, the Jenners' tees were created without the icons' knowledge or consent, prompting outrage, social media shade, and in some cases, legal threats, from fans and artists alike — including this epic zinger, courtesy of Sharon Osbourne.
 

Girls, you haven't earned the right to put your face with musical icons. Stick to what you know…lip gloss. pic.twitter.com/BhmuUVrDBn

— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) June 29, 2017

Within hours, Kendall and Kylie had ceded to the outcry. After yanking the shirts from their website, the siblings issued an apology. "These designs were not well thought out and we deeply apologize to anyone that has been upset and/or offended, especially to the families of the artists," they said in a statement. Nevertheless, the clap-backs keep on coming. The latest arrives courtesy of Metallica frontman James Hetfield, who addressed the Jenners' $125, Kill 'Em All-inspired "vintage original" in a recent interview with ET Canada.

"To me, it's disrespectful," Hetfield said of the siblings' haute homage. "We've spent 36 years working hard, doing our best to keep a really close connection with people, make every note count, and someone just throws something up over something that we feel — Not that it's sacred or anything, but show some respect." If the Jenner sisters are so deadset on honoring the kings of heavy metal, perhaps they could start by following their sister Kim's example and rocking a "Metal Up Your Ass" t-shirt.

black sabbath

Black Sabbath recently announced Black Sabbath: The End of the Enda documentary chronicling the icons' final concert last February, in their hometown of Birmingham, England. Today, they've released a trailer for Dick Curruthers' film, which will be screened in theaters worldwide for one night only, September 28th. The 30-second preview offers a tantalizing glimpse of what the film holds: professionally-shot footage of Ozzy and Co.'s grand finale, dizzying crowd shots, intimate peeks behind the curtain and — of course — a deluge of purple balloons. Check it out below. A list of theaters participating in the Black Sabbath: The End of the End screening event can be found over on the film's official website. Don't see your city listed? Head here to request a screening.

The End of the End isn't the only thing Black Sabbath fans have to look forward to this September. A day after the film's release, on September 29th, the band will release its new vinyl box set, The Ten Year War. The limited-edition release includes remastered editions of the band's first eight LPs (Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Master Of Reality, Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage, Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die), two rare seven-inches, a crucifix-shaped USB stick (which can also be worn as a necklace), a hardcover book with photos and essays, reproductions of Black Sabbath's hard-to-find "Ten Year War" brochure and 10th Anniversary World Tour 1978 Program and a reprinted tour poster from Black Sabbath's 1972 concert at the Seattle Centre Arena. Pre-order the box set here.

Earlier this month, Osbourne took the stage at Wisconsin's Rock USA festival for his first concert since Black Sabbath's epic hometown curtain call. His headlining set marked the return of longtime guitarist (and Black Label Society mastermind) Zakk Wylde, after an extensive absence. (Wylde's last performance with the Ozzman was in 2009.)

chester bennington, Christopher Polk / Getty
photograph by Christopher Polk / Getty

Linkin Park have penned a heartfelt letter in memory of Chester Bennington, their first public comments since the singer took his own life last Thursday (July 20th). "Our hearts are broken. The shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened," they begin, going on to express appreciation for the "outpouring of love and support, both public in private, from around the world," as well as celebrate Bennington's passion, courage, and openness. Read the entire statement below.

Linkin Park's tribute follows last week's cancellations of their "One More Light" tour (which was slated to begin July 27th), as well as the "Blinkin Park" trek with Blink-182. In the wake of Bennington's death, the band have launched Chester.linkinpark.com, a website where fans can share tributes of their own, as well as find resources on suicide prevention.

Dear Chester,

Our hearts are broken. The shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened.

You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized. In the past few days, we've seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world. Talinda and the family appreciate it, and want the world to know that you were the best husband, son, and father; the family will never be whole without you.

Talking with you about the years ahead together, your excitement was infectious. Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled—a boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, generous voice in the room is missing. We're trying to remind ourselves that the demons who took you away from us were always part of the deal. After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place. You fearlessly put them on display, and in doing so, brought us together and taught us to be more human. You had the biggest heart, and managed to wear it on your sleeve.

Our love for making and performing music is inextinguishable. While we don't know what path our future may take, we know that each of our lives was made better by you. Thank you for that gift. We love you, and miss you so much.

Until we see you again, LP

rsz_1pjimage_12.jpg, Travis Shinn, Allan Amato
photograph by Travis Shinn, Allan Amato

Marilyn Manson has shared a blistering new cover of Ministry's "Stigmata." His crushing take on the classic The Land of Rape and Honey song was concieved in concert with composer Tyler Bates (Watchmen, 300, Guardians of the Galaxy), who also collaborated with Manson on his critically acclaimed last album, The Pale Emperor. It is one of three Eighties covers featured on the soundtrack to David Leitch's upcoming spy thriller Atomic Blonde, starring Charlize Theron. (Industrial band HEALTH and electro-pop duo Kaleida took on New Order's "Blue Monday" and Nena's "99 Luftballons," respectively, for the 16-track collection.) The Atomic Blonde soundtrack arrives the same day the film hits theaters (July 28), via Back Lot Music. You can stream Manson's "Stigmata" cover below (as well as some of the shock rocker's other best covers), and check out a trailer for the film. Pre-orders for the soundtrack are available here.

Manson's Ministry cover arrives amidst an uptick in activity for both artists. The former is gearing up to release his 10th album, Heaven Upside Down, later this year, and recently announced a massive fall North American tour. Meanwhile, Ministry just tapped Death Grips to support them on a tour behind their new album, AmeriKKKant, which is expected sometime this fall.

pentakill

In 2014, a metal band called Pentakill came seemingly out of nowhere and landed its debut EP, Smite & Ignite, in the Billboard Top 40 and at No. 1 on the iTunes Metal and Rock charts. The mini-album went on to rack up millions of streams on YouTube and Spotify. Even more surprising, the group turned out to be a virtual band made up of fictional members — vocalist Karthus, guitarist Mordekaiser, bassist Yorick, keyboardist Sona and drummer Olaf — embodied by an original skin line in the massively popular online game League of Legends.

Behind the scenes, the songs on Smite & Ignite were created by a rotating cast of professional metal musicians, including Jørn Lande (Jorn, Beyond Twilight, Masterplan) and ZP Theart (Skid Row, Dragonforce), as well as by the music composition and production team at League of Legends' parent company, Riot Games.

Today, Pentakill have released the group's first new music in three years, the singles "The Bloodthirster" and "Tear of the Goddess," which presage the release of the band's follow-up album, Pentakill II: Grasp Of The Undying. "The Bloodthirster" features Lande's power-metal wail and synths by Scott Kirkland of the Crystal Method, while "Tear of the Goddess" introduces the vocals of Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast) into the fold. Check out both songs below, and for more info, visit pentakill.leagueoflegends.com.

cornell.jpg

On what would have been Soundgarden/Audioslave singer Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday, Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard shared a moving letter to his friend and bandmate in Temple of the Dog. The letter was posted on Pearl Jam's website, and can be read in its entirety below:

Happy Birthday, Chris

I keep waking up in the middle of the night and remember, fresh again, that you are gone. An absence grows in my stomach and slowly turns circles like a far off galaxy on a grainy tv.

The same questions follow and my heart races...searching for reasons and what ifs..
I'm so selfishly sad that I'll never get to see you again, never play with you again, never feel the bask of your approval or be part of your life. 
Fuck....
We all miss you so much...it was always a given in my mind we would all spend more time together when we got older, we would play more music and love and be loved like we dreamed...this was your time and you shared it with us...thank you.
You were too much...
Your talent was jaw dropping...your songs, lyrics, your voice...how could you have all 3...
And then, the not so obvious...your wicked sense of humor and your playfulness...
all of us are heartsick and we will never get over losing you. 
We hope you're in peace and that your particles are mutating and transforming in harmony with nature. We wish your family our utmost condolences and sympathies.
We love you Chris,
Happy Birthday 

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