News
California crossover thrash icons Suicidal Tendencies have shared a visual for "Living For Life," off last year's album World Gone Mad. Directed by Pep Williams, the clip takes a look back at their recent shows, stirring up mosh pits in cramped clubs, skate parks and festivals with the help of Slayer percussionist Dave Lombardo (who played drums on World Gone Mad) and new guitarist Jeff Pogan. Elsewhere, frontman Mike Muir stalks through warehouses and industrial parks, performing the song with his usual gusto. Check it out below.
In related news, Suicidal Tendencies have announced their plans to drop a new EP this fall. The release, recorded during the World Gone Mad sessions, concludes what very well might be the band's final album cycle, as Muir revealed in an interview with Loudwire earlier this month. "There's a very good chance that'll be our last album album that we do," he said, continuing: "We'll always record things, [but] whether we put it out, I don't know. We've been focusing since this record [World Gone Mad] has come out and we got so much stuff already planned that I can't even think about recording another record."
Lombardo, to his credit, has promised to "keep bugging" Muir about new material, telling Metal Wani's Laura Vezer recently: "I try to motivate the musicians I'm with because there's no reason to stop; You've gotta keep recording, you've gotta keep creating...It's what we do for a living."
Cattle Decapitation are going on tour this fall. The death metal stalwarts have just announced the latest round of shows behind their most recent album, 2015's The Anthropocene Extinction. "The North American Extinction Tour Part II: In Human Beings" begins October 10 at the Regent Theater in Los Angeles, with dates planned through November 20. Support for the trek will come courtesy of thrash revivalists Revocation, grindcore luminaries Full of Hell, tech-death posse Artificial Brain and Tijuana-based death metal outfit Thanatology (who will sub in for Full of Hell for the first three dates). Find a full list of dates below.
With the exception of Thanatology (whose last release, a split CD with Portguese grindcore band Besta, came out in 2014), the tour's openers have all unveiled new albums over the past year. Last summer, Revocation released their sixth album, Great Is Our Sin; This spring, Full of Hell and Artificial Brain dropped the LPs Infrared Horizon and Trumpeting Ecstasy, respectively.
Oct. 10 - Los Angeles, CA - Regent Theater ^
Oct. 11 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick ^
Oct. 12 - Flagstaff, AZ - Green Room ^
Oct. 13 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
Oct. 14 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
Oct. 15 - Jerome, ID - Diamondz Event Center
Oct. 16 - Portland, OR - Bossanova
Oct. 17 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
Oct. 18 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
Oct. 20 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite
Oct. 21 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
Oct. 22 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
Oct. 23 - Winnipeg, MB - Park Theater
Oct. 24 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
Oct. 26 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
Oct. 27 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
Oct. 28 - Covington, KY - Madison Live
Oct. 29 - Detroit, MI - Token Lounge
Oct. 31 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
Nov. 01 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
Nov. 02 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon
Nov. 03 - Boston, MA - Once Ballroom
Nov. 04 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage
Nov. 05 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
Nov. 06 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
Nov. 08 - Virginia Beach, VA - Shaka's
Nov. 09 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
Nov. 10 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
Nov. 11 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
Nov. 13 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Music Hall
Nov. 14 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
Nov. 15 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live
Nov. 16 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th St Collective
Nov. 17 - San Antonio, TX - Rock Box
Nov. 18 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls
Nov. 19 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
Nov. 20 - Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar
^ = with Thanatology
-photo by zach cordner
Brendon Small is the creator of Dethklok, the cartoon metal band featured in Adult Swim's Metalocalypse. A few months before the show's 2012 series finale, the musician, writer and animator released his solo debut, Brendon Small's Galaktikon. Self-described as an "audio comic book," the album situated Small's epic riffs within a full-fledged intergalactic epic starring superheroes, soothsayers and space pirates. Five years later, Small is gearing up to release the story's second chapter: Galaktikon II: Become The Storm, out August 25 via Megaforce Records/MRI. Listen to "My Name Is Murder," from the forthcoming LP, below.
"I wrote all the riffs for 'My Name Is Murder' in one sitting, and it quickly became a favorite while we were making the record," Small said of the track. "Story-wise, this song is about a bad dude doing very bad things, and writing from the POV of a bad guy is very, very fun for me."
As with Dethklok's discography, Galaktikon II: Become The Storm features production from Ulrich Wild (Deftones, Breaking Benjamin). Small is joined by drummer Gene Hoglan (Testament, Death, Dark Angel) and bassist Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai). Album pre-orders are available now on CD, LP and picture disc vinyl, and digitally through iTunes and Amazon.
On June 23, Glenn Danzig was born in Lodi, New Jersey. A heavy music fan since childhood, the young Danzig (né Glenn Allen Anzalone) originally dreamed of becoming a comic book author and photographer. Fate, of course, had other plans; In the mid-Seventies, Danzig started the pioneering horror-punk outfit the Misfits, amassing a reputation for his onstage melodrama, as well as his impressive, goosebump-inducing baritone (a prowess rendered all the more remarkable by the fact that Danzig's entirely self-taught). Following the Misfits' dissolution in 1983, Danzig turned his focus to Samhain, garnering endorsements from Metallica members James Hetfield and Cliff Burton, and eventually famed producer Rick Rubin, who signed the band — rechristened as "Danzig" — to his Universal Music Group imprint American Recordings. And to this day, Danzig shows no signs of stopping. Last year, he reconvened the Misfits' original configuration for several reunion shows; his eponymous band, meanwhile, released their eleventh full-length Black Laden Crown last month.
Danzig isn't a frontman so much as a cultural icon — or perhaps, a beloved heavy-metal superhero. As one of the original goth rockers, the man's influence transcends heavy metal, and even music itself. He's made appearances on episodes of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Portlandia (as a homeowner and gothic beach attire expert, respectively), and was even asked to audition for the role of Wolverine in 2000's X-Men (Alas, scheduling conflicts kept the Marvel hero's real-life Doppelganger from showing off his retractable claws on the silver screen.)
In eternal fandom of Evil Elvis, we're firing up the time machine and revisiting one of the legend's greatest performances: his band's powerful run-through of the immortal "Mother," on a 1994 episode of The Jon Stewart Show. "Do you wanna bang heads with me?" Danzig sneers, "Do you wanna feel everything?" Hell yes, Mr. Danzig, we do. Take us away.
Have you ever dreamed of buying gear from one of the most famous metal percussionists of all time? You're in luck: Bill Ward, Black Sabbath's co-founder and original drummer, is off-loading some of his collection of drum kits, cymbals and other musical ephemera. Ward just announced that he plans to sell over 200 pieces of studio- and stage-used gear spanning his tenure with the band, via the online marketplace Reverb.
Starting June 28, you'll be able to bid on a slew of rarities, culled from ten different storage facilities. Here are just a few of the pieces of gear set to hit the digital auction block next week: a six-piece Super Zyn cymbal set, used in the Black Sabbath and Paranoid sessions and their associated tours; A Ludwig Speedking kick drum pedal dating back to the 1970s; Over 150 signed, dated drum heads; A hand-painted bass drum head from the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath tour and more.
Prospective buyers can examine a selection of the lot on Reverb, and Ward has also uploaded a short video detailing (and in some cases, demo-ing) the goodies. "Some of this stuff I haven't played in quite some time; it's just sitting there," he says of the trove. "If it's going to drummers, or collectors, or whatever, then I'm only too happy."
Ward's announcement follows news of Black Sabbath's limited-edition vinyl box set The Ten Year War, which contains the band's first eight albums, two seven-inches, a hardcover book and a crucifix-shaped USB necklace, among other items. With an estimated price-tag of $247, the package, out September 29 via BMG, doesn't come cheap; Then again, it's an ostensible steal compared to Ward's gear, which is bound to fetch high prices.
The Melvins are gearing up to drop their new double album, A Walk With Love & Death, on July 7 via Ipecac Recordings. Today, they've unveiled a new ripper off the effort, titled "What's Wrong With You." The track features vocals from Steven McDonald of OFF!/Red Kross fame (who joined the seminal sludge outfit last year), as well as That Dog. frontwoman Anna Waronker. Listen below.
"We love Steven! 'What's Wrong with You' is a great addition to our long Melvins catalog," said Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne. "There's no other song on this record that sounds like it and that's what makes it so cool!"
A Walk With Love & Death finds the Melvins — whose current lineup comprises Osborne, McDonald and Dale Crover — working with two vastly different stylistic approaches. The first disc, Death, is a straightforward Melvins album. Its counterpart, Love, houses the band's score for a self-produced short movie titled after the record. The group shared a trailer for the film back in April. Aside from Waronker, A Walk With Love & Death features collaborations with Pixies' Joey Santiago and Le Bucherettes' Teri Gender Bender. "A Walk With Love & Death is one giant, dark, moody, psychotic head trip!" Crover warned. "Not for the faint of heart. You'll sleep with the lights on after listening."
Osborne and company recently announced an extensive North American tour behind A Walk With Love & Death, with support from Ipecac labelmates Spotlights. Tomorrow (June 24), they'll open for Tool at the Glen Helen Ampitheater in San Bernadino, CA.
Jun. 24 – San Bernadino, CA – Glen Helen Ampitheater !
Jul. 5 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
Jul. 6 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
Jul. 7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
Jul. 8 – Fresno, CA – Strummer's
Jul. 9 – Sacramento, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
Jul. 10 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
Jul. 12 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Jul. 13 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Jul. 14 – Vancouver, BC – Venue Nightclub
Jul. 17 – Edmonton, AB – Union Hall
Jul. 18 – Calgary, AB – The Marquee
Jul. 20 – Winnipeg, MB – Pyramid Cabaret
Jul. 21 – Fargo, ND – The Aquarium
Jul. 22 – Minneapolis, MN – Grumpy's Bash
Jul. 24 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom
Jul. 25 – Chicago, IL – The Metro
Jul. 26 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Pyramid Scheme
Jul. 27 – Detroit, MI – El Club
Jul. 28 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
Jul. 29 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
Jul. 31 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater
Aug. 01 – Syracuse, NY – The Westcott Theater
Aug. 02 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
Aug. 03 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
Aug. 04 – Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
Aug. 05 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony
Aug. 06 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
Aug. 08 – Richmond, VA – The Broadberry
Aug. 09 – Carrboro, NC – Cat's Cradle
Aug. 10 – Knoxville, TN – The Concourse
Aug. 11 – Louisville, KY – Headliner's Music Hall
Aug. 12 – St. Louis, MO – The Ready Room
Aug. 13 – Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
Aug. 15 – Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
Aug. 17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Aug. 18 – Las Vegas, NV – Psycho Fest
Aug. 20 – San Jose, CA – The Ritz
Aug. 21 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
Aug. 22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
Sep. 05 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
Sep. 06 – Tucson, AX – 191 Toole
Sep. 08 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
Sep. 09 – Dallas, TX – Tree's
Sep. 10 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
Sep. 11 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live (Studio)
Sep. 13 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jack's
Sep. 14 – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
Sep. 15 – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbit's
Sep. 16 – Tampa, FL – The Orpheum
Sep. 17 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – The Culture Room
Sep. 18 – Orlando, FL – The Social
Sep. 20 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
Sep. 21 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Hell Stage)
Sep. 22 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
Sep. 23 – Memphis, TN – Hi-Tone
Sep. 25 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
Sep. 26 – Rock Island, IL – Rock Island Brewing Co.
Sep. 27 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly's
Sep. 28 – Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
Sep. 30 – Ft. Collins, CO – Aggie Theatre
Oct. 02 – Albuquerque, NM – The Launchpad
Oct. 03 – Flagstaff, AZ – The Green Room
! w/ Tool
When he's not fronting progressive metal bands, acting in films and comedy sketches, or running his top-shelf winery, Maynard James Keenan can be found on the mats. The Tool bandleader, who has over 20 years' experience in Brazillian jiujitsu, has documented his martial arts endeavors in great detail on social media, from sparring sessions to run-ins with respected fighters including UFC mixed martial artist Nate Diaz, who met up with Keenan at a recent Tool show. Now, the frontman's uploaded footage of their encounter to Instagram. Check it out below.
Careful what you ask for! @natediaz209 @randyspence1 #grampafell #stocktonslaplite @verdevalleybjj
A post shared by Puscifer & Caduceus (@puscifer) on Jun 21, 2017 at 7:06pm PDT
As seen in the video, Keenan couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask Diaz for a demonstration of the "Stockton Slap," the fighter's signature move. Happy to oblige, the brawler proceeded to show Keenan his might, knocking the musician to the mat (albeit a tad unconvincingly). Always the good sport, Keenan captioned the post with a lighthearted warning ("Careful what you ask for!"), as well as the hashtags #grampafell and #stocktonslaplite. So there you have it: Maynard James Keenan, in his full jiujitsu uniform, getting "Stockton Slapped" by one of the UFC's most formidable fighters.
Tool's lengthy summer tour wraps up tomorrow, June 23, in Sacramento, California. However, Keenan's not done with the road yet. In late October, he'll embark on a North American tour with his other band, A Perfect Circle. Despite these recent stirrings, neither band has revealed any details regarding their rumored upcoming LPs.
Today marks the arrival of Dying Fetus' eighth album Wrong One to Fuck With, the death metal mainstays' first new full length in more than five years. The Maryland outfit are promoting the release in typical goofy fashion, with a hilarious fake commercial for Gallagher, Williams, Beasley & Associates, the band's very own death metal law firm.
The 53-second clip channels the corny spirit of other TV spots advertising attorneys-for-hire, with dramatic shots of Dying Fetus arguing in the courtroom, appearing on cable television, and — of course — posing for an awkward group photo in a stuffy office. "Have you participated in a justifiable homicide?" the ad asks, before listing some potential causes for kvlt litigation (qualifying cases include, but are not limited to, blunt force trauma, gruesome impalement, skullfuckery and a simple desire for vengeance). Kooky as the clip's narration may be, it's the band's photoshopped smiles that truly drive the hilarity home. Needless to say, Gallagher, Williams, Beasley & Associates are the wrong ones to fuck with. See for yourself below.
Dying Fetus will support Wrong One to Fuck With with a co-headlining spot on this year's Summer Slaughter tour, which also features the Black Dahlia Murder (playing 2007's Nocturnal LP in full), Oceano, Slaughter to Prevail, Origin, Rings of Saturn, Betraying the Martyrs and Lorna Shore. The trek kicks off July 27 and wraps up August 26.
Jul. 27 – Reading, PA – Reverb
Jul. 28 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
Jul. 29 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
Jul. 30 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
Aug. 02 – Knoxville, TN – The International
Aug. 03 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
Aug. 05 – Austin, TX – Come & Take It Live
Aug. 06 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey Live!
Aug. 07 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues
Aug. 09 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
Aug. 10 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee
Aug. 11 – Anaheim, CA – Grove of Anaheim
Aug. 12 – Los Angeles, CA – The Novo
Aug. 13 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
Aug. 15 – San Francisco, CA – The UC Theatre
Aug. 17 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
Aug. 19 – Denver, CO – The Summit Music Hall
Aug. 21 – Minneapolis, MN – The Cabooze
Aug. 22 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
Aug. 23 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart's
Aug. 25 – Detroit, MI – Majestic Theater
Aug. 26 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre & Ballroom
Earlier this spring, Darkest Hour released Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora, their crowd-funded ninth album. One of the many rewards available to the album's backers was a DVD copy of Party Scars and Prison Bars: Two and a Half: an exclusive documentary chronicling Darkest Hour's 20th anniversary hometown show at Washington D.C.'s Black Cat in 2015, as well as the band's career writ large.
Today, they've uploaded the entire 36-minute film to YouTube as Party Scars and Prison Bars Two and a Half - A Thrashography Sequel. Watch it below.
Jul. 14 – Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel
Jul. 15 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz
Jul. 16 – Virginia Beach, BA – Shakas
Jul. 18 – Spartanburg, SC – Ground Zero
Jul. 19 – Orlando, FL – Backbooth
Jul. 20 – Margate, FL – O'Malley's
Jul. 21 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar
Jul. 22 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Jul. 23 – Fayetteville, NC – Drunk Horse Pub
Mastodon just wrapped up the first leg of their Emperor of Sand tour, which is sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. With another round of dates scheduled for this fall, the band brushed up on their beer-shilling, product-placement skills. Watch the Atlanta outfit's hilarious attempts below.
The Office-style mockumentary centers around Andy Riggs, PBR's overeager music tour manager, whom the band naively allowed to tag along with them on the road. His aims? To get the band to "eat, drink and breathe nothing but PBR." His methods? Forcing the band to sit through hours of "label facing training" and pouring beer on Brent Hinds' cereal, among other tactics. Unsurprisingly, Mastodon aren't exactly thrilled: "I love PBR and all, but I didn't sign up for this shit," complains Hinds. (Actually, he did; Riggs has the contract to prove it.) By video's end, their shade has evolved into complex trolling schemes. Lest we spoil the plot, let's just say that Mastodon's revenge plan involves a staged green room break-in.
Aug. 20 – Las Vegas, NV – Psycho Las Vegas Festival
Sep. 23 – Denver, CO – High Elevation Fest
Sep. 26 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
Sep. 27 – Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performance Arts Center
Sep. 29 – Knoxville, TN – Civic Auditorium
Sep. 30 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival
Oct. 03 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
Oct. 04 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
Oct. 06 – Atlanta, GA – The Fox Theater
Oct. 07 – Camden, NJ – Rock Allegiance Festival
Oct. 09 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis
Oct. 10 – Rochester, NY – The Armory
Oct. 11 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live
Oct. 13 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
Oct. 14 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater
Oct. 15 – Houston, TX – Houston Open Air
Oct. 17 – Albuquerque, NM – Historic El Rey Theater
Oct. 19 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
Oct. 21 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
Oct. 23 – Boise, ID – Revolution Center
Oct. 24 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
Oct. 25 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum Theatre
Dec. 02 – Cardiff, Wales – Great Hall
Dec. 04 – Wolverhampton, England – Civic Hall
Dec. 05 – Nottingham, England – Rock City
Dec. 06 – Newcastle, England – Northumbria University
Dec. 07 – Glasgow, Scotland – Barrowland
Dec. 09 – Manchester, England – Academy
Dec. 10 – London, England – Brixton Academy