Alternative Metal
Skillet Frontman Calls Rage Against the Machine “Government Rock,” Insists He’s the “Revolutionary”
Skillet frontman and Christian rocker John Cooper blasted Rage Against the Machine while defending his own anti-vax stance in a new interview. You might remember Cooper’s delusional comments from earlier this year following Cardi B’s controversial Grammy performance. At the time, Cooper compared the Grammy Awards to Hitler and condemned Cardi B for the sexual nature of her stage show. Cooper then tried to backtrack on his remarks. Now the Skillet singer has taken a pot shot at Rage Against the Machine, an outspokenly progressive and left-leaning act. In an interview with Apologia Radio, a church-run program, Cooper elaborated on his thesis that vaccines are a tool of government control “more about tyranny than they are actually keeping people safe.” Advertisement Related Video “What’s real...
Puscifer Release Recent Livestream Concerts as Soundtrack Albums: Stream
Puscifer have released their recent “Live at Arcosanti” and “Money $hot” livestreams as standalone soundtrack albums. It’s the culmination of a strong album cycle for Puscifer, who followed their 2020 full-length album, Existential Reckoning, with a pair of cinematic livestream performances. Without the ability to tour, Maynard James Keenan and company were forced to pivot toward the virtual concert format to support their latest album. “Live at Arcosanti” saw the band in an X-Files-esque desertscape, playing mostly the new record. Advertisement Related Video They followed that up with the elaborate “Billy D and The Hall of Feathered Serpents featuring Money $hot” performance. It celebrated the songs and aesthetics of the group’s 2015 Money $hot LP and was shot in Los Angeles’ historic May...
Coheed and Cambria Unleash New Song “Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord)”: Stream
Coheed and Cambria have served up a new song, “Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord),” as well as an accompanying animated lyric video. The track follows up the band’s August single, “Shoulders,” and comes ahead of Coheed’s much-anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures. On “Rise, Naianasha (Cut the Cord),” Coheed and Cambria display their penchant for progressive rock, with shifting dynamics, a doomy instrumental breakdown and Claudio Sanchez’s creative storytelling. “‘Rise, Naianasha’ explores the reach of love and loyalty and the reality that sometimes you need to be more than a shoulder to lean on — you need to become the destroyer,” Sanchez said of the genesis of “Rise, Naianasha (Cut The Cord).” Advertisement Related Video Coheed and Cambria recently closed out...
Maynard James Keenan Offers “A Curmudgeon’s Guide” as Part of New Puscifer TV Experience
Maynard James Keenan is offering up “A Curmudgeon’s Guide to Divine Collisions and Pythagorean Oenology” as part of the new Puscifer TV experience, launching November 12th via Vimeo. “A Curmudgeon’s Guide” features a one-on-one conversation with Keenan moderated by veteran radio figure Roxy Myzal. The conversation was filmed during MJK’s A Perfect Union of Contrary Things book tour in 2016 and includes a previously unreleased video for the track “Galileo” (from Puscifer‘s 2015 album Money Shot). A short teaser trailer can be seen now, featuring some of the video artwork and voiceover. For fans looking to crack into the psyche of the enigmatic Tool and Puscifer singer, look no further than this transparent chat with the man himself. Advertisement Related Video The convo is among the initial...
Fred Durst Teases Artwork and Halloween Release Date for New Limp Bizkit Album
Fred Durst has teased part of the artwork for Limp Bizkit’s long-awaited new album. He also hinted that it could drop on Halloween. The rap-rock veteran started polling fans about the new album last week, implying that songs from the long-awaited LP were finally finished. “Should I drop a new song?” he asked. “Maybe ‘Turn It Up, Bitch’ or ‘Goodbye’? Hmm, or should I just drop the whole new album, all 12 songs? What do you think?” Advertisement Related Video Then over the weekend, Durst shared an Instagram story of “Album Cover Piece 1” with the text: “Instead, all [jack-o-lantern emoji]’s will drop on Halloween.” While we were writing this post, Durst/Limp Bizkit shared a second piece of the artwork featuring a colorful UFO. If not the full album, it appears the band are set to release som...
COVID-Stricken Serj Tankian “Happy” He Was Vaccinated, But Not “Taking Sides on the Issue”
System of a Down singer Serj Tankian, who’s been battling COVID-19, has said he is “happy” he was vaccinated but is not “taking sides on the issue.” We recently reported on Tankian testing positive for COVID and System of a Down postponing their two Los Angeles concerts, which had already been postponed twice due to the pandemic. The singer now says he is hoping to be symptom-free soon and credits the vaccine with minimizing his illness. However, Tankian explained that he wasn’t taking a specific stance regarding vaccines, saying it’s not a “one size fits all” decision. His summarized Facebook post read: “I am overwhelmed and extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and concern from friends and strangers alike. I am doing well and hoping to be clear of all symptoms soon. I believe tha...
Vended (Sons of Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Clown) Announce Debut EP, Unleash “Burn My Misery”: Stream
Vended, the band featuring the sons of Slipknot members Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan, have announced their debut EP, titled What Is It/Kill It. The band also shared the new song “Burn My Misery” ahead of the EP’s November 12th release. It’s the second single we’ve heard from the Iowa metal act. Touting a serious pedigree with Corey Taylor’s son Griffin on vocals and Clown’s son Simon on drums, it’s no surprise that Vended bring a crushing extreme-metal sound, as heard on “Burn My Misery.” Like previous single “Asylum,” the band incorporate elements of prog and melodic metal into the five-minute track. There’s certainly some Slipknot influence, but Vended’s punk tendencies are more pronounced, with spitfire vocals from Griffin and lightning fast tempos. Advertisement Related V...
Mike Portnoy’s Son Is Now Drumming for Code Orange
Legendary metal drummer Mike Portnoy’s son Max is now drumming for Code Orange, who are currently on tour as part of Slipknot’s “Knotfest Roadshow.” Going by the name “Mud Max” and donning a Mankind-style mask, Max Portnoy has appeared on drums during the band’s recent shows, though it is undetermined if it’s a permanent role. Singer Jami Morgan is the band’s studio drummer, but he has given up the role on tour to concentrate on being a frontman onstage. Ethan Young previously held the role of touring drummer, but now Max has taken over the drum kit during live gigs. Max, who also plays in the band Tallah, certainly brings an impressive pedigree to the Code Orange lineup. His father Mike is considered one of the greatest metal drummers of all time, having been the longtime stickman for pro...
P.O.D. on 20 years of Satellite, “Alive”‘s Success, and HR from Bad Brains’ Pet Parakeets
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS P.O.D.’s Sonny Sandoval grabs some talk time with Kyle Meredith to talk about the 20th anniversary of their 2001 album Satellite. Advertisement Related Video The lead singer dives into the breakthrough success of the LP, why the song “Alive” connected with fans so much, the young people he was thinking of with “Youth of a Nation,” and the song’s parallels to the school shootings that continue to happen today. Sandoval also remembers what it was like to navigate success during the era of 9/11 and also shares a fun story about recording a punk track with HR from Bad Brains, who brought along two parakeets. Listen to this new epi...
Vended (Sons of Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Clown) Unleash Debut Single “Asylum”: Stream
Vended, the band that features the sons of Slipknot members Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan, have unleashed their debut single “Asylum.” With such an impressive metal pedigree, it’s no surprise that “Asylum” is a brutal track, featuring scalding vocals from 19-year-old singer Griffin Taylor (a dead ringer for his dad) and hard-hitting rhythmic patterns from drummer Simon Crahan. There’s a definite groove-metal and nu-metal influence, along with a streak of hardcore punk that should get the pits circling. While they’re not clad in masks, the band’s press photo does feature some theatrical makeup, giving the group a sinister appearance as Griffin appears obscured by blue paint. Vended’s lineup is rounded out by Cole Espeland (lead guitar), Connor Grodzicki (rhythm guitar), and Jer...
Mental Metal: Tool’s Ænima Turns 25
Dusting ‘Em Off is a rotating, free-form feature that revisits a classic album, film, or moment in pop-culture history. This piece celebrates Tool’s acclaimed sophomore album Ænima. Editor’s Note: This article originally ran in 2016, but has been updated in 2021 to reflect the 25th anniversary of Ænima. Many musicians have been influenced by books, but there seems to be something especially literary about the genres of hard rock and metal. This goes double for horror and fantasy fiction: Led Zeppelin meditated on The Lord of the Rings, Black Sabbath wailed about “The Wizard,” and Metallica thrashed to the monster Cthulu. Others have drawn imagery out of the Bible, Norse mythology, or the bloodier epochs of European history. For their second album, Tool drew on the writings of Carl Jun...
Corey Taylor Debuts Creepy New Mask at Slipknot’s First Show in 18 Months
Slipknot played a concert for the first time in 18 months on Saturday night (September 4th), performing a headlining set at the Rocklahoma festival. For the band’s long-awaited return to the stage, singer Corey Taylor sported a creepy new mask. Taylor is coming off a recent bout with COVID-19, having contracted the virus at the end of his summer solo tour. After a rough battle in which he said “it’s the worst I’ve ever been sick in my life,” he thankfully reported that he tested negative about 10 days ago, giving him the all-clear to tour with Slipknot. The singer believed he likely caught COVID from a “selfish” concertgoer. For Slipknot’s show at Rocklahoma, Taylor rocked a skeletal mask with beady eyes and Chelsea-smile stitching around the mouth. The change comes in the middle of the ba...
