Music

In a 2010 interview with Jeff “Chairman” Mao, Jay Electronica admitted that the mystique around him was confounding. “I don’t get why people say that,” he said. “I be on Twitter, I be on Facebook. The people that know me, I’m open with them. I don’t know where the mystique thing is coming from. I’m a pretty open person.” And indeed, 10 years later, he never really went away—his tweets became infrequent, and the album never materialized, but he never went too long without appearing on a guest feature or dropping a loose single, often a highlight from the announced but unreleased Act II: The Patents of Nobility. In reality, the only thing mysterious about Jay Electronica was why, having been anointed as rap’s second coming in the wake of “Exhibit C,” he would sit on what was by all accounts ...

Ian Gillan says that his relationship with Ritchie Blackmore is “quite good,” nearly three decades after the legendary guitarist’s final departure from DEEP PURPLE. Blackmore is a co-founder of DEEP PURPLE and wrote many of their most memorable riffs, including “Smoke On The Water”, but he has not played with the group since his 1993 exit. Steve Morse effectively took over Blackmore‘s slot in 1994 and has since been in the group longer than Ritchie. Gillan addressed his longstanding feud with Blackmore in a new interview with the U.K.’s The Guardian. “We were both arseholes,” Gillan said, adding that he communicates with Ritchie these days albeit with difficulty. “Ritchie has nothing electronic in his house — no computers, no tele...

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes has released the official music video for his new single called “Playing With Fire”. Check it out below. Holmes has taken advantage of the period of non-live activity during the COVID-19 pandemic to offer you new projects. The end of 2020 will see the release of a DVD/Blu-ray documentary, to be followed by a new studio album in 2021. Fans who participate in Holmes‘s Indiegogo campaign can make a donation in exchange for a consideration such as a CD or guitar picks. You can even acquire Chris‘s leather jacket with its personalized paint or see your name inscribed in the booklet for the new album. Along with the album, you’ll be able to pre-order a collector’s collection of gorgeous never-before-seen photos embellishe...

BPMD — the new heavy metal juggernaut featuring vocalist Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth (OVERKILL), drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO), bassist Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE) and guitarist Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD) — released its debut full album of ’70s rock covers, “American Made”, in June via Napalm Records. Since the members of BPMD consider the late Eddie Van Halen to be one of their biggest musical influences, an impassioned cover of VAN HALEN‘s “D.O.A.” was included on the effort. With the recent news of Eddie Van Halen‘s passing, the band has come together to honor the guitar icon with a heartwarming video of their favorite EVH images, featuring their tribute cover. The video can be viewed below. In a...

Grammy-nominated metal band TRIVIUM has announced “The Deepest Cuts II”, the second and final installment in its series of free, single-camera livestream shows that broadcast from the group’s rehearsal room in Orlando, Florida. The performance is scheduled for Saturday, October 24 at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. U.K. / 9 p.m. EU time and will stream on frontman/guitarist Matt Heafy‘s ever-popular Twitch channel. “We are taking you back into our jam room to give you more deep cuts that we rarely play and a few we have never played before,” the band says. “If you have ever wanted to be a fly on the wall for one of our practices, this is your chance. Get in the chat and talk to us and TRIVIUM fans all over the world as we run through another unique ...