We all know that today’s a day for ghouls and ghosts and gourds (as in pumpkins… it’s a stretch, I know), but it’s also a wonderful day for some haunting prog metal. Thanks to Crippled Black Phoenix and their newly released music video for “Bonefire,” we get some crisp autumn air distilled into a song set to a little cult horror film. “We gift to you a musical curse on the miserable ruling class politicians! Again, working with Guilherme was a total pleasure and a complete win. He got the vibe and the intensity spot on. Plus, he raised the bar a whole lot with production value, so what we have is basically a little cult horror film, telling the story of “Bonefire.” The ruling class getting some just karma in the flames.” Featured on the band’s latest studio effort Banefyre , the track features an almost floaty, ethereal quality to its sound. While it’s not particularly heavy, it’s perfect for a fall night and the slow onset of winter’s chill. As for the video, it’s perfect for an...

Iconic punk band Dead Kennedys announced yesterday that drummer D.H. Peligro passed away at his home on Friday. According to a statement on the band’s Instagram page , responding police said Henley accidentally fell at his home and sustained trauma to his head. He was 63 years old. Dead Kennedys’ drummer D.H. Peligro (Darren Henley) passed away in his Los Angeles home yesterday, October 28th. Police on the scene stated that he died from trauma to the head caused by an accidental fall.  Arrangements are pending and will be announced in the coming days.  We ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.  Thank you for your thoughts and words of comfort. Henley had been with the Dead Kennedys from 1981 to 1986, 2001 to 2008, and then from 2009 until today. You can hear his drumming and backing vocals on the band’s studio albums Plastic Surgery Disasters , Frankenchrist, Bedtime for Democracy , and the compilation Give Me Convenience or Giv...

Autumn rocks, but the moment we’re talkin’ 30 degrees and below with chances of snow here on the east coast, it’s the fucking worst. That’s why for the 3,000 people lucky/wealthy enough to vacation aboard this year’s 70,000 Tons of Metal will be doin’ it right — especially now that we know the first band embarking on the trip. Earlier today, it was announced that the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish will take to the high seas as one of 60 bands to perform on the ship. Vocalist Floor Jansen should have hopefully completely recovered from her breast cancer diagnosis by then, so the band’s expected to be firing on all cylinders by the time they hit the stage on the 154,000 ton cruise ship. Taking place from January 30 to February 3, 2023, the Freedom of the Seas will go from Miami, Florida to Bimini, The Bahamas. Over the course of that trip, metalheads will get to rub elbows with rock stars, attend all kinds of kick as concerts, participate in fun group activities, and visit...

Last Friday before Halloween, better start working on that Chris Barnes cosplay… This week is another good one; get these titles and more via our partners at Gimme Metal. Darkthrone Astral Fortress (Peaceville) Trve Norwegian OGs Darkthrone are back with their second album in as many years, albeit with less ellipses than 2021’s Eternal Hails…… The emphasis on doom is still there, mixing with their icy bite in a way that is uniquely Darkthrone. 35 years in the game and Darkthrone are still pushing themselves and having fun. Available via Gimme . Dead Cross II (Ipecac) Mike Patton , Justin Pearson ( The Locust , Retox ), Dave Lombardo ( Slayer ) and Michael Crain (Retox) join forces for their second outing as Dead Cross . Combining thrash, punk, psychedelia, spooky atmosphere, noise rock and whatever else they can think of to make their hardcore cocktail more potent, Dead Cross might actually live up to the supergroup tag. Read our full review and grab it via Gimme M...

Just days after announcing they’ll be embarking on a massive tour through South America and Europe next year, Mötley Crüe is now without a guitarist. Just recently, a representative for Mick Mars told Variety that his client could no longer handle the rigors that go along with extensive touring. “Mick Mars, co-founder and lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe for the past 41 years, has announced today that due to his ongoing painful struggle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (A.S.), he will no longer be able to tour with the band. Mick will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigors of the road. A.S. is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine.” At 71 years old, Mars (née Robert Deal) has been dealing with A.S. since he was a teenager. One can only imagine the amount of difficulty he’s had to endure all those years on the road, considering the extreme discomfort and pain he’s described in the past . Give...

Prepare your battle vests, gather your beers, and pack your edibles. A killer tour with Municipal Waste and High On Fire co-headlining each show will be ripping down the east coast this December and your ass better be ready. Unveiled earlier today by the Richmond, Virginia-based crossover act and fresh off the release of their latest studio album Electrified Brain , Municipal Waste frontman Tony Foresta said he’s beyond stoked to get back on the road for 10 dates that start in New Hampshire on December 1 and end in Florida on December 11. “Beyond excited about this one. What a killer way for us to end such an amazing year for Municipal Waste. Every band on this bill kills live and I can’t stress enough that folks should get there early to see every band. You won’t regret it.“ When he says “every band,” he means every band. Along with the two massive co-headliners, Gel and The Early Moods will be tagging along to provide some killer support. Municipal Waste bassist Phill Hall s...

Γεια σου, θυμάσαι όταν ο τραγουδιστής των Five Finger Death Punch, Ivan Moody, έσυρε τα παιδιά του στη σκηνή σε ένα πρόσφατο show και ανακοίνωσε ότι θα το έκλεινε όταν επρόκειτο για το heavy metal; Ακούστηκε τελικό, σωστά; Λοιπόν θα έπρεπε να ξέρεις καλύτερα γιατί αποδεικνύεται ότι δεν πάει πουθενά καθόλου. Χρειάστηκε μόνο μια εβδομάδα, αλλά ο Moody ανακάλεσε την ανακοίνωση συνταξιοδότησής του απαντώντας σε ερώτηση θαυμαστών σε μια ζωντανή ροή στο Instagram. Αν και η αρχική ανάρτηση είναι εκτός λειτουργίας, ένας λογαριασμός YouTube ανέβασε ξανά τις ερωτήσεις και απαντήσεις, τις οποίες μπορείτε να παρακολουθήσετε παρακάτω. «Όχι, δεν φεύγω», είπε. «Ήθελα να σας ενημερώσω όλους».  Προφανώς η ανακοίνωση ήταν μια απόφαση της στιγμής και ζήτησε συγγνώμη από τους θαυμαστές και τους συμπαίκτες του. «Πραγματικά κάθισα αναπαυτικά τις τελευταίες μέρες και τα κατάλαβα όλα. Και πρώτα θέλω να ζητήσω συγγνώμη. το κάνω. ζητώ συγγνώμη. Ζητώ συγγνώμη γιατί η μουσική είναι το μόνο που έχω, και ...

Iron Maiden ‘s Bruce Dickinson recently made headlines for some comments made to the crowd in Anaheim, CA about smoking weed. Between songs, Dickinson called fans out for making both his and bassist Steve Harris’ lives harder on stage and asked for “a tiny bit of respect” in that people should just go outside to smoke. “I don’t know what it is. There’s so many fucking people smoking so much fucking dope down here, I’m amazed you can even see. Poor old Steve [Harris, Iron Maiden bassist]. I don’t know if you know, but he absolutely fucking hates marijuana and the smell of it, alright? So when he’s trying to play bass, it fucks him up. It fucks me up. I’m a singer, alright? So duh. I would just ask for a tiny bit of respect – if you want to go get completely stoned out of your fucking mind, go out the back and do it. Alright? Otherwise you’re going to end up like this fucking knucklehead here going ‘uhhhh.’” This of course has drawn tons of opinions from across the internet, no...

If you’re planning on seeing Amon Amarth in their upcoming New York City, Montreal, or Los Angeles dates, then you’re in for a special treat, as the Swedish viking metal stalwarts announced they’re bringing their full European production to North America for those gigs. Featuring a whole mess of over-the-top shit like Viking ships, the Viking helmet drum riser, and live battle reenactments, those dates in particular are going to be must-see events for any Amon Amarth fan. Then factor in that the tour also has Carcass, Obituary, and Cattle Decapitation on the bill and you’ve got one hell of a night of metal madness. “Heathens! Come make a battle to remember with us on these monumental and historic raids along with our fellow brothers in metal Carcass, Obituary and Cattle Decapitation. Let’s make these the biggest death metal shows in history in this country! Bring your Viking spirit and get ready to raise your horns and row like you’ve never rowed before! See you at the shows!” In...

The internet lost its collective shit a little yesterday when Serj Tankian said System Of A Down had some big announcement to make in early 2023 . Naturally, people jumped to the two most obvious conclusions – a tour or there will finally be a new record. In an interview with Metal Injection , Tankian plainly stated that he’s not interested in doing a tour at this point and would totally do a new album “when the opportunity comes up.” So we’re not saying there’s a new album announcement on the way, but I mean… the chances aren’t zero anymore, right? Yeah, I personally focus on the latter because it’s always a compliment [to be asked about a new System of a Down record]. It’s kind of like someone saying, I mean, I don’t know. If you’re an architect and you design this incredible museum and everyone comes back to you and says, ‘when are you going to do a museum again?’ And you’re working on, I don’t know, industrial projects at this point or whatever, but you’re like, oh yeah, I’m gr...

Ever curious and intensely hard-working, bassist Trevor Dunn’s fingerprints are inlayed across droves of eclectic releases year in and year out. Many know Dunn through his work with Mr. Bungle and the Melvins, with his distinct, fusion-inspired licks voraciously accenting some of the most ubiquitous rock and metal records of the last 30-odd years. But for Dunn, mastering metal isn’t his sole goal; the former Bay Area staple’s increasingly insatiable thirst for experimentation has seen him shapeshift across genres. Most recently, Dunn has chosen to revisit his 18 years dormant jazz-rock outfit, Trio-Convulsant. If you’re assuming that Trio-Consultant’s newest offering will be composed of tired tropes, predictable structures, or tried and true devices, think again. Instead, Sèances provides a venerable smorgasbord of blended sounds, nuanced compositions, and blissfully unpredictable songwriting set to entrance even the most tepid of listeners. During a rare break, Trevor Dunn dialed...

Dead Cross is one band where the “supergroup” term feels appropriate. Beyond Mike Patton’s unreal vocal chops and Dave Lombardo’s legendary drumming, the riff-writing chemistry of guitarist Michael Crain and bassist Justin Pearson made their 2017 self-titled debut too much fun to resist. What’s more interesting is watching a band with associations ranging from Slayer and Faith No More to The Locust give their take on hardcore punk. It had to get weird and wild at some point, and that’s exactly what Dead Cross have leaned into on their second outing. Opening cut “Love Without Love” shows why having Ross Robinson produce Dead Cross is a stroke of genius. From its moody, post-punky meditations to its hair-raising explosion of atonal guitar strains and insane vocalizations, II ‘s sound remains immediate and unfiltered—like a train just barely hanging onto the tracks as it gains speed. Robinson’s knack for bringing the crazy out of bands pays off during the lopsided gallops of “Heart Refo...

It’s been nearly 17 years since their last studio release, but fans of System of a Down haven’t stopped holding out hope for new music, bless their hearts. And while we’ve gotten a couple new tracks in recent years and a sporadic number of live shows , the constant discourse around the “will they, won’t they” conversation has regularly had cold water thrown on it thanks to ongoing bickering within the band . Yet during a recent interview, frontman Serj Tankian tossed a tiny morsel of hope to fans that something might be on the horizon. During a recent interview with Kyle Meredith , Tankian was asked if there were any plans for System of a Down in the near future. Though he remained cagey about that prospect, he still answered the question. “As of now, we haven’t talked about anything. We will be making an announcement about something next year that I can’t really tell you about. So there is that. But further than that, I can’t really say.” That’s not a no! I know that to the t...

Norwegian black metal legends Immortal have announced that they have completed work on their tenth studio album. According to a post from their Facebook page, the album is called War Against All and is coming sometime in 2023 via Nuclear Blast. Immortal founder Demonaz had plenty to say about the new record, stating that the music would be similar to the band’s early work. “Immortal continues the style that was established and defined on our very first records. It ́s fast, furious, epic, and mighty Blashyrkh metal – the one and only way!” In case you were worried Demonaz was going soft, he isn’t: “Even though the studio work is necessary to get an ultimate recording, the writing process is obviously my favourite. I still write all the guitar riffs/music at home with the same old vibe, and the lyrics as well. The early days of black metal inspire me the most. Cold nights in the woods, on the mountains under the winter moon. That’s what keeps the spirit alive, and the foundati...

This past week, Vio-lence announced somewhat cryptically that they are parting ways with guitarist Bobby Gustafson. In a social media post announcing the lineup change, the band say they parted ways due to “logistical difficulties that weigh too heavy to function in a productive manner.” “Vio-lence and Bobby Gustafson have agreed to part ways effective immediately. “The band cites ‘logistical difficulties that weigh too heavy to function in a productive manner’. Remaining members all ‘thank Bobby for his time in the band and all his Vio-lence efforts. “We wish him the very best.” Cryptic, we know, but it’s likely referring to schedules or travel distances. At least this seems to be a fairly mutual decision. It’s unclear exactly what is going on with the band in light of this recent announcement, but it does appear that Vio-lence intend to complete their European tour. Gustafson was originally in Overkill and joined Vio-lence in 2020, at the time filling in for guitarist Ray ...

For the first time ever, the Dortmund Deathfest will bring multiple styles of death metal to the German city of Dortmund next summer. On August 4 and 5 next year, death metal fans will be invited to The Junkyard in Dortmund to take in two days’ worth of earblasting music performed by more than 20 bands across two stages. Though we’re still a ways away from knowing the final band list, organizers announced that both Deicide and I Am Morbid will take the stage. We are happy to announce our first bands and can’t wait to show you more of the Line-Up. We are working hard on getting the best bands from the genre on our new Festival. The first edition is always something special and we want to celebrate it with all of you guys. Of particular note is the fact that Deicide will play a special set celebrating the 30th anniversary of Legion . It goes without saying that when Legion first came out it was a game-changer for death metal and the genre as a whole. Even today the songs are as ...

Man, this past week took a turn. Everything was going fine and then not only did we find out that Ken Susi was on an indefinite leave from Unearth and Ivan Moody was planning to quit metal, but now The Sword are no more and the world’s going to have to deal with yet another Motley Crue tour. It’s like metal as a genre was like “hey, you had a pretty sick week last week, so let’s fix that.” Still, it’s not all doom and gloom and bummer news stories. Deicide is in pre-production for their 13th record and we now exactly know how kick ass Exhumed’s latest offering really is (though was there any doubt about that). So with a weary eye towards the next week, we’ll leave you with our updated Spotify playlist, as well as the top 10 articles from last week. So chill out, catch up, and look around for the rest of last week’s news, features, interviews, and reviews. John 5 Says Mötley Crüe Speculation is ‘Just a Rumor’ Yikes, Zakk Wylde Hasn’t Learned Pantera Material Yet Ivan Moody is Q...