Hard Rock
Dave Grohl Reveals He Was Ripping Off “Old Disco” Drumming on Nirvana’s Nevermind
Dave Grohl revealed that he ripped off “old disco” and R&B/funk drumming for his parts on the iconic Nirvana album Nevermind. In a clip from his Paramount+ series From Cradle to Stage, Grohl talked with Pharrell Williams about the inspiration for the drum beats on Nevermind. Grohl first insisted that he’s “the most basic f**king drummer,” earning a raised eyebrow from Pharrell. The Foo Fighters frontman followed up by citing the unlikely source for the drumming that can be heard on “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and other tracks. Related Video “If you listen to Nevermind, the Nirvana record, I pulled so much stuff from The Gap Band and Cameo and [Chic’s] Tony Thompson on every one of those songs … all that [slaps his legs] … that’s old disco!” Grohl said. Then clips of “Smells Like Tee...
Model Ashley Morgan Smithline Sues Marilyn Manson for Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
Editor’s Note: This article contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of sexual violence. Two months after detailing a horrific relationship with Marilyn Manson in a tell-all feature with People magazine, model Ashley Morgan Smithline has filed a lawsuit against the singer. The suit alleges sexual assault, human trafficking, and unlawful imprisonment. Smithline is the fourth woman to sue Manson related to the recent allegations of sexual assault against the shock rocker. Previously, Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco filed a similar lawsuit, as did the singer’s former assistant Ashley Waters and an unidentified woman. Related Video As reported by Rolling Stone, Smithline’s accusations in the lawsuit are similar to the claims she made in her interview with People. The suit all...
Sammy Hagar Apologizes for Exposing Eddie Van Halen’s “Dark Side” in Autobiography
Sammy Hagar has apologized for exposing the late Eddie Van Halen’s “dark side” in his 2011 autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock. Hagar opened up about the book’s contents in a new interview with Brazil’s Inside With Paulo Baron, expressing regret for including stories and passages about Eddie Van Halen that didn’t paint the shredder in a positive light. After Hagar said that he’d wished he’d put more positive childhood stories in his book, he offered remorse for the darker EVH content that made it in. Related Video “But more than anything, because of the untimely and tragic death of Eddie Van Halen, I apologize from the bottom of my heart for exposing his dark side to where I don’t think anyone wants to hear that now, and, unfortunately, it’s in the book,” Hagar said (as transcri...
Tenacious D, Rob Halford, Sammy Hagar, Lzzy Hale Join Ronnie James Dio Virtual Birthday Fundraiser
Tenacious D, Rob Halford, Sammy Hagar, and Lzzy Hale are among the new guests added to the Ronnie James Dio virtual birthday fundraiser. The stream goes live at 2 p.m. PT on July 10th. Metal luminaries, friends of the Dio family, and fans will partake in the global livestream celebration to raise funds and awareness for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. This will include one-of-a-kind performances, birthday messages, and artist interviews celebrating the late singer’s life of heavy metal and philanthropy. Previously announced guests included Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, members of Guns N’ Roses, and many more. In addition to the previously named guests, a plethora of others have also been added to the roster: Sebastian Bach, John Bush (Armored Saint); Mikkey Dee (Scorpio...
Beyond the Boys’ Club: Kris Esfandiari of King Woman
Beyond the Boys’ Club is a monthly column from journalist and radio host Anne Erickson, focusing on women in the heavy music genres, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. Erickson is also a music artist herself, recently releasing the song “Eternal Way” under the moniker Upon Wings. This month’s piece features an interview with Kris Esfandiari of King Woman. King Woman’s new album, Celestial Blues, delves into heavy themes of suffering, spirituality and, ultimately, triumph. The ethereal doom band, led by Kris Esfandiari, releases its sophomore set July 30th via Relapse Records, following up the 2017 debut, Created in the Image of Suffering. Esfandiari grew up in a cult-like religious environment filled with stories of demons and exo...
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Surpasses 1 Billion Spotify Streams
NIrvana’s game-changing single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has surpassed one billion streams on Spotify, a rare feat for a heavy rock song. The achievement comes just a few months before the band’s landmark 1991 album Nevermind celebrates its 30th anniversary. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” changed the face of rock music as the first single released from Nevermind. The song and its iconic music video helped open the floodgates for grunge and alternative rock at a time when hair metal and pop ruled the MTV and radio airwaves. The song joins Linkin Park’s “In the End” among the more than 150 tracks that make up Spotify’s “Billions Club”, most of which are of the modern pop and hip-hop variety. A few songs from Queen (“Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Another One Bites the Dust” and “Don’t Stop Me Now”) are als...
R.I.P. Johnny Solinger, Ex-Skid Row Singer Dies at 55
Johnny Solinger, the longest tenured singer of Skid Row, died Saturday (June 26th) at the age of 55. The rock vocalist had announced that he was suffering from liver failure in May. A statement from Skid Row read, “We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us.” Solinger became Skid Row’s singer when the when the multiplatinum rock band re-formed in 1999 without vocalist Sebastian Bach following their 1996 breakup. He recorded two studio albums (2003’s Thickskin and 2006’s Revolutions Per Minute) and two EPs (United World Rebellion: Chapter 1 and Rise of the Damnation Army – United World Rebellion: Chapter Two) with Skid Row before being fired from the group in 2015. Related V...
Marilyn Manson to Surrender to Police on Warrant for Alleged Assault
Marilyn Manson is set to turn himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department on a New Hampshire warrant for his arrest, stemming from an alleged assault in which the singer is accused of repeatedly spitting on a videographer during a concert in 2019. The incident is not related to the allegations of sexual assault brought against Manson by numerous women in recent months. According to the Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times, Manson has reached an agreement with the police department in Guilford, New Hampshire, to surrender to the LAPD at a prearranged date, at which time he will be booked and go through the bail process. He’ll then be ordered to appear at a New Hampshire court for arraignment, likely in August. The incident in question occurred at Manson’s August 18, 2019 concert at the Ba...
Dee Snider Teams Up with Cannibal Corpse Singer Corpsegrinder for “Time to Choose”: Stream
Dee Snider has unleashed the new single “Time to Choose” featuring Cannibal Corpse vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher. The track is from the legendary Twisted Sister frontman’s upcoming solo album, Leave a Scar, out July 30th. The blistering three-minute song starts with a galloping thrash rhythm and grooving riffage prior to a crushing post-chorus breakdown. This section is prime territory for Corpsegrinder, who bellows “You must choose” in his iconic death growl. Overall, it’s one of the most diverse and brutal songs Snider has recorded to date. “‘Time to Choose’ deals with a subject I’ve addressed often over the course of my writing career: good versus evil (see ‘Burn In Hell’),” Snider remarked in a press release. “Given the heaviness of this track, I felt adding George ‘Corpsegrin...
Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio Announce Rescheduled 2021 US Tour
Bad Religion and Alkaline Trio will finally get the chance to embark on their co-headlining tour after postponing the outing due to the pandemic. The originally scheduled trek was supposed to kick off in March 2020, the same month the concert industry shut down, but will now launch this October. The newly rescheduled 30-date tour kicks off October 15th in Riverside, California, then makes its way east before returning to the West Coast for a final gig on November 26th in Los Angeles. War on Women will serve as support for the entire run. “This tour is special,” said Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin in a press release. “Not only are we celebrating the return of live music, but we get to do it with Alkaline Trio, who are such a great band, really excited about this!” Related Video Alkaline T...
Corey Taylor Announces Summer 2021 US Solo Tour Dates
Corey Taylor was one of the first major artists to hit the road again this year, embarking on a month-long US run that just wrapped up a few days ago. Now, the singer has added a new summer leg to his solo tour, just weeks before his band Slipknot hit the road for their fall trek. The new solo leg kicks off August 6th at the House of Blues in Las Vegas and runs through an August 19th show at Denver’s Sculpture Park. Taylor will also play a July 16th gig at Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin. Taylor is touring behind his 2020 debut solo album, CMFT, which features a wide range of songs spanning from metal to alternative rock to outlaw country. Supporting the summer trek will be the dance troupe Cherry Bombs, featuring Taylor’s wife Alicia Dove. Related Video After the solo jaunt, Taylor will th...
Metallica to Release Super Deluxe 30th Anniversary Box Set of The Black Album
Metallica are celebrating the 30th anniversary of “The Black Album” in a major way. The metal titans have announced a super deluxe box set edition of the mega-selling LP that is set to arrive on September 10th. As Metallica have done with their first four albums over the past few years, they’re giving their self-titled fifth LP, better known as “The Black Album”, the royal treatment. The 1991 effort helped Metallica make the leap from metal favorites to international rock stars thanks to classics like “Enter Sandman”, “Nothing Else Matters”, and “Sad but True”. It remains the best-selling album of all time in Nielsen Soundscan history. The limited-edition deluxe box set features the album remastered on 180-gram 2-LP vinyl, a picture disc, three live LPs, 14 CDs (containing rough mixes, dem...
