Hard Rock
Serj Tankian: I Respect John Dolmayan Very Much, But Not His American Political Views
Over the past year or so, a political divide has played out indirectly between System of a Down bandmates Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan. While Tankian’s views are strongly on the left, Dolmayan is firmly planted in the right, when it comes to American politics, in particular. Tankian supported Bernie Sanders during the presidential primaries, and repeatedly voiced his displeasure with the Trump administration. At one point during the height of the 2020 protests, the singer even called for the end of the Trump regime. And right before Trump’s presidency ended, Tankian declared, “I’ve never seen a president suck so much,” following a U.S. agreement with Turkey that appeared to minimize Armenia’s cultural heritage. Dolmayan, on the other hand, took to his Instagram account to label Democrats...
Dirty Honey Announce Debut Album, Share “California Dreamin’”: Stream
Hard rockers Dirty Honey have announced that their self-titled debut album will arrive April 23rd. The L.A. band has also shared the music video for the opening track and lead single, “California Dreamin’”. Not to be confused with the ’60s pop hit of the same name by The Mamas and the Papas, Dirty Honey’s take on the Golden State is a darker portrayal. Vocalist and lyricist Marc LaBelle said the track and its video explain that the Cali dream is just that: a dream. It doesn’t always come true. “Lots of people come out to California, chasing a dream, and sometimes, people just don’t make it,” LaBelle said in a press release. “California isn’t always the ‘land of milk and honey,’ dreams don’t always come true here, and that’s the perspective this song and video take. The video is a dream thr...
Tim Commerford: Rage Against the Machine Will “Never” Play Drive-In Shows or 10% Capacity Venues
Last year, Rage Against the Machine were set to reunite for perhaps the most anticipated rock tour of 2020. Whether the band embarks on its rescheduled outing this year remains to be seen, but bassist Tim Commerford suggests that it won’t happen until they can play in front of packed venues. The pandemic forced Rage Against the Machine to table their first tour in 10 years, just a few weeks before it was set to kick off. As of now, the rescheduled dates are slated to begin June 3rd in El Paso, Texas. It just so happens that Texas is set to lift all capacity restrictions (and foolishly end mask mandates) beginning next week, but that’s not the case in most states. Either way, Commerford is not looking to play drive-in shows, where people watch from their cars, or reduced capacity concerts. ...
Evanescence Unveil New Single “Better Without You”: Stream
Evanescence’s long-awaited new album, The Bitter Truth, is set to arrive in just a few short weeks. In advance of its March 26h release, the band has unveiled the LP’s latest single, “Better Without You”. The new single marks a bold statement for singer Amy Lee, with a press announcement describing the song as follows: “An f-you to the forces that have attempted to hold her back, ‘Better Without You’ is bandleader Amy Lee’s unapologetic declaration of independence.” Musically, “Better Without You” is hard-driving rocker, with Lee delivering her signature soaring vocals in the chorus. Fans have gotten a substantial preview of The Bitter Truth, as “Better Without You” follows previous singles “Wasted On You”, “The Game Is Over”, “Use My Voice”, and “Yeah Right”. Editors’ Picks The...
Gene Simmons on His New G² Gibson Collection, Restarting KISS’ Final Tour, and More
KISS singer-bassist Gene Simmons is not only a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician, but a merchandizing master. His band set the template for rock branding, and now he’s combining his knowledge of music and merch with a new line of Gibson guitars and basses, dubbed G² (pronounced “G-squared”). The G² collection sees Simmons partnering with Gibson on a new line of right-handed and left-handed guitars and basses, spanning across the company’s owned and operated brands Gibson, Epiphone, and Kramer. The partnership will launch with the G² Thunderbird bass, which Simmons debuted during KISS’ massive New Year’s Eve livestream show in Dubai. Also on tap are Flying V basses and guitars, among other instruments. We had the opportunity to speak with Simmons about the collection, the genesis of the...
Wolfgang Van Halen Hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart with Debut Single “Distance”
Wolfgang Van Halen’s debut single “Distance” has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. The track was released under Wolfgang’s Mammoth WVH solo moniker as a tribute to his late father Eddie Van Halen, who personally loved the song and had a few No. 1 hits of his own with Van Halen. The single was accompanied by a touching music video featuring home movies of Eddie and Wolfgang. Since its release, the video has over 4 million views on YouTube. “The response to ‘Distance’ has been incredibly overwhelming,” Wolfgang said in a press release. “The immense support from everyone at radio who played the song and all of the fans who called requesting it has been more than I could have imagined. Thank you to everyone who helped me get my first #1 song. I wish Pop was here to ...
Robert Fripp, Toyah, and a Real-Live Snake Take on Foo Fighters’ “Everlong”: Watch
Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox are joined by a member of the animal kingdom in their latest “Sunday Lunch” performance video. The married couple tackle Foo Fighters’ “Everlong” as Toyah handles as real-live slithering snake. Fripp, the founding guitarist for prog pioneers King Crimson, and Toyah, a new wave singer with a series of UK hits in the ’80s, have taken on the role of rock’s most entertaining couple during the lockdown. Their “Sunday Lunch” series sees the pair offering quirky takes on rock classics. Their new performance features Fripp playing the unmistakable guitar riff from Foo Fighters’ “Everlong”, with Toyah singing the song with a good-sized snake slithering in her hands. At the very end, as if on cue, the snake turns around and makes face-to-face contact with Toyah. D...
Rammstein Recorded a New Album They “Hadn’t Planned On” During Lockdown
Rammstein did indeed record a new album during lockdown, affirms keyboardist Christian “Flake” Lorenz in a new interview. The confirmation comes after the German industrial metal band had shared images from the studio last year. Originally, Rammstein had intended to spend much of 2020 on the road, including their first-ever full-scale stadium tour of North America. Due to the pandemic, touring was put on hold, and the band found itself with a lot of time on its hands. Instead of sitting around waiting for concerts to resume, Rammstein hit the studio and recorded a very quick (especially by their standards) follow-up to their 2019 untitled album. “The fact that we couldn’t perform live increased our creativity,” Flake told the German website Motor Music. “We had more time to think of new th...
Song of the Week: Jay Som and Palehound Choose the Bachelor’s Life and Debut “Anything at All”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, two longtime friends form a new band and find a new sound. The past year of our lives has taught us that loneliness comes in several shades of blue. It can feel like total isolation, separation from dear friends, or even the tedium of seeing the same faces every single day. Those among us who have fared best have either found ways to beat the loneliness (a little Zoom went a long way there for a while, didn’t it?) or embrace it as a chance to remain in the moment and accomplish something. Jay Som (Melina Duterte) and Palehound voc...
Actress Bianca Allaine Calls Marilyn Manson the “Most Terrifying Person I’ve Ever Met,” Sets Up Meeting with FBI
Bianca Allaine has joined the growing list of women who have accused Marilyn Manson of abuse. The actress claims that the shock rocker forcibly kissed her when she was 16 in 1995, and then engaged in a “terrifying” sexual relationship with her when she was 19. She plans to soon speak to the FBI about her experiences. Allaine, who has mostly acted in B-movies like Zombinatrix and Nightmare Next Door, told her story to The Sun, explicitly detailing a disturbing experience with the singer. “Marilyn Manson might be scary, but Brian Warner is the most terrifying person I’ve ever met in my life,” said Allaine, referencing the rocker’s real name. “He’s evil.” She added, “We were often never alone on the tour bus, and his fetish back then was to watch people have sex with me or do things to ...
Alice Cooper Releases New Album Detroit Stories: Stream
Legendary shock rocker Alice Cooper has released his latest studio album, Detroit Stories. The record’s 15 tracks act as a concept album about Cooper’s native city — a historic hotbed for rock and roll in the ’60s and ‘70s. Cooper was one of the most active members of the scene, fronting the band Alice Cooper before the group’s moniker took on a personality of its own, becoming the man Alice Cooper as he’s known today. “Detroit was Heavy Rock central then,” Cooper said in a press release. “You’d play the Eastown and it would be Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Stooges and the Who, for $4! The next weekend at the Grande it was MC5, Brownsville Station and Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Brown or the Small Faces. You couldn’t be a soft-rock band or you’d get your ass kicked.” Detroit would become ...
Tom Morello: Slash and I Nearly Got Blown Up Onstage at an Ozzy Osbourne Show
Tom Morello (photo by Amy Harris), Ozzy Osbourne (David Brendan Hall), Slash (Antonio Marino Jr.) Tom Morello and Slash almost jointly experienced the most heavy metal death that one can possibly imagine: getting blown up onstage at an Ozzy Osbourne concert. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist told the story during an appearance Wednesday (February 24th) on The Howard Stern Show. Morello and Slash were performing with the Prince of Darkness as part of his “Ozzy and Friends” shows that took the place of Black Sabbath’s planned tour after Tony Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma. At one of the shows, a headlining Halloween performance at the 2015 Voodoo Experience festival in New Orleans, the two guitar gods almost met their maker. As Morello tells it, after he and Slash had taken turns pla...
