Hardcore
Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta on Weight of the False Self, Adjusting to the Pandemic, Podcasting, and More
Like many musicians, Jamey Jasta thought he had his 2020 plans set. He was gearing up to release a new album with Hatebreed in the spring, plus the band had two tours booked with the likes of After the Burial, Havok, Creeping Death, Parkway Drive, Knocked Loose, and Fit for a King. Then, COVID-19 hit. Right as the band was set to begin promoting their new album, the concert industry shut down, and the album’s release date was pushed back indefinitely. Now, Jasta and Hatebreed are set to unleash their eighth LP, Weight of the False Self, on November 27th via Nuclear Blast Records. The album is one of the veteran Connecticut metal outfit’s most aggressive to date, with heavy riffing and powerful themes of self-reflection, loss, and the state of the world. While the concert industry remains s...
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Announce Interactive “By Request” Livestream Concert
UK rockers Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have announced “Brixton By Request”, an interactive streaming performance. The virtual show will be streamed live in real-time from the O2 Brixton Academy this Friday (November 13th) at noon PT / 3:00 p.m. ET. Unlike a number of other recent streaming performances, “Brixton By Request” will actually take place live. As the name implies, fans will be able to help choose the setlist as the concert happens and interact with the band via onstage screens. While streaming events have become the norm during the pandemic, few have featured fan interaction, arguably the most important aspect of live music. With their high-energy shows, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes have proven themselves to be one of the most dynamic live acts to emerge in the pa...
Concert Review: Mr. Bungle’s Streaming Show Masterfully Blends Comedy and Thrash
Setting the Stage: The reunion of Mr. Bungle has been a journey for both the band and its fans. In what feels like another lifetime, founding members Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, and Trevor Dunn revived Mr. Bungle for a reunion tour in early 2020… with a catch: The band would only be playing material from its 1986 thrash metal demo The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny and hardcore cover songs from the era. Furthermore, they tabbed ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian to help execute the demo’s blazing tempos and thrash theatrics. The quasi-supergroup went on a brief tour and then entered the studio to record a new version of the demo. As we remarked in our review of the album, the re-recorded Easter Bunny is a modern thrash classic from an unexpected source. ...
Mike Patton on Reuniting Mr. Bungle, Navigating the Pandemic, and More
Mr. Bungle (Mike Patton center), photo by Eric Larsen Prior to the pandemic, Mike Patton had countless irons in the musical fire. While his touring plans came to a standstill, the singer has soldiered on with his many creative endeavors. One of those projects is the first album in 21 years from his reunited band Mr. Bungle. Mr. Bungle reunited earlier this year for a handful of shows in February, featuring a lineup that included original members Patton, Trey Spruance, and Trevor Dunn, along with thrash titans Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies) and Scott Ian (Anthrax). In addition to the concerts, news came that the same lineup would re-record Mr. Bungle’s 1986 demo The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny. The re-recording, due October 30th, features the songs from original trackli...
Members of Refused, Mastodon, Korn, Run-DMC, Anthrax, and More Cover Faith No More’s “We Care a Lot”: Watch
There has been a plethora of impressive all-star quarantine performances during the pandemic, but this latest one is especially ambitious. Thirteen musicians from bands such as Refused, Mastodon, Korn, Run-DMC, Anthrax, Filter, and more have joined forces to cover the Faith No More song “We Care a Lot”. The collaboration was organized by Slaves on Dope members Jason Rockman and Kevin Jardine, who contribute vocals and guitar to the performance, respectively. Refused frontman Dennis Lyxzén handles the first verse, while other vocalists include Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC; Richard Patrick of Filter; Walter Schreifels of Quicksand; Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth; rapper Escoteric of Czarface; and Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace. In addition to Jardine, the core instrumental band is made up o...
Refused Announce The Malignant Fire EP, Unleash “Born on the Outs”: Stream
Swedish hardcore veterans Refused have announced a new EP, The Malignant Fire. In advance of its November 20th release, the band has unleashed the single “Born on the Outs”. The Malignant Fire will arrive roughly a year after Refused’s most recent full-length album, War Music. The new five-song collection features four new tracks and one War Music cut (“Malfire”). “Born on the Outs” has a post-punk vibe, with singer Dennis Lyxzén delivering clean vocals to start before escalating to his raspy howl. It’s as infectious as it aggressive, even delving into a melodic Sisters of Mercy-like bridge around the 2:10 mark. Lyrically, “Born on the Outs” continues the progressivism and radicalism of the band’s 30-year career, as Lyxzén rails against hate crimes, fascism, and oppression throug...
Fever 333 Announce Wrong Generation EP and Virtual Global Livestream Tour
Politically charged rockers Fever 333 have announced a new EP, titled Wrong Generation. What’s more, they’ll support the new release with a virtual tour of major regions across the world. Wrong Generation, due October 23rd, was inspired by frontman Jason Aalon Butler’s experience in several protest marches following the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police. The singer spent 13 days in the streets of Los Angeles protesting against racism and police brutality. “This project is art as activism first,” explained Butler in a press release. “I’m talking about what’s happening and what needs to happen. I hope you understand there’s going to be pain in progress. After dismantling and deconstructing all of these things, we can find a beautiful place to be together. For me, thi...
War on Women Announce New Album Wonderful Hell, Share Title Track: Stream
Baltimore outfit War on Women have announced their third full-length album, Wonderful Hell, will arrive on October 30th. The politically charged hardcore band have also shared the LP’s ferocious title track. War on Women make no mistake about their views on modern society or the state of politics in the United States. Their songs read like a manifesto, and “Wonderful Hell” is no different. Singer Shawna Potter wrote the song during a period when she felt especially “exhausted and overwhelmed by the Trump era.” “I can’t ignore what’s in front of me/ That fear is real, but not the enemy,” shouts Potter. In the lyric video, there is a notebook emblazoned with the hashtag “#VOTE”. It’s at the core message of the song. “I think it expresses something that a lot of people are feeling,” Potter sa...
Hatebreed Announce New Album Weight of the False Self, Unleash Title Track: Stream
Connecticut hardcore metallers Hatebreed are set to return with their eighth studio album, Weight of the False Self. The band has unveiled the title track in advance of the LP’s November 27th release. Weight of the False Self marks Hatebreed’s follow-up to 2016’s The Concrete Confessional. The upcoming set was produced by longtime Hatebreed collaborator Zeuss. “Sometimes, I think my reality consists of two irreducible elements, expressed by the age-old interior battle of the dualistic self,” Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta said of his approach to the new album. “The angel on one shoulder stands firm, providing reason, wisdom, and compassion while the devil dances angrily on the other, ranting with passion, spite, and dark desire.” He added, “I often wonder if a truly centered mind is attain...
Uniform Give a Track by Track Breakdown of New Album Shame: Stream
In our Track by Track feature, artists guide listeners through each song on their latest album. Here, Uniform let us in on the inner musings of Shame. New York City trio Uniform have just released their new album, Shame, a brutal work of heavy music that’s as crushing as it is personal. What’s more, to coincide with today’s release, the band has unveiled a music video for the latest single, “Life in Remission”. It’s a telling track, following a string of lyrically intense songs such as “Delco” that combine singer Michael Berdan’s passionate, cathartic vocal delivery with a musical blend that veers from dark metal to industrial to harsh noise. Uniform defy any easy pegging, but their focus is honed. Live instrumentation, effects, and synths are woven into cohesive blasts of carefully chosen...
Beastie Boys’ ’90s Hardcore EP Aglio E Olio Comes to Streaming Services: Stream
On the heels of announcing their greatest hits album, Beastie Boys have quietly uploaded their ’90s hardcore release Aglio E Olio EP to streaming services today. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify. Aglio E Olio EP originally came out in 1995 via Grand Royal. Beastie Boys had just come off a string of excellent hip-hop albums, the most recent of which at the time was 1994’s varied Ill Communication, and realized they had written too many punk and hardcore songs for their next full-length. Instead of dumping the material onto Hello Nasty, which wouldn’t be released until 1998, they decided to release all of the tracks together as an EP. Spanning eight songs in total, the original Aglio E Olio EP 7-inch was hastily recorded in New York City in September 1995. Joining Ad-Roc...
Cro-Mags Premiere Video for “Between Wars”: Watch
Earlier this year, Cro-Mags released In the Beginning, their first full-length studio album in 20 years. One of the songs on the album, “Between Wars”, is also the title of a new independent film starring Cro-Mags’ Harley Flanagan and Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli. The legendary New York hardcore band has teamed up with Heavy Consequence to unveil the music video for the track. The film was briefly released to the Internet over the summer, but it is currently being shopped around to major streaming services. The movie centers around a Marine named Franny Malloy (played by Shaun Paul Costello), who struggles to re-enter civilian life after combat in Afghanistan. Flanagan portrays a an old-school Bronx gangster named McManus, while Imperioli plays a Marine turned PTSD psychologist called ...
