Heavy Consequence
In Photos: Testament, Exodus and Death Angel Play Only “Bay Strikes Back” Show of 2021
Although the official “Bay Strikes Back Tour” has been postponed until 2022, Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel brought the joint bill to the Fox Theater in Oakland on Saturday (November 27th) for a sold-out one-night gig this past weekend — giving their hometown fans a chance to celebrate the legacy of not only the music, but also the rich history of all three bands. Together, the three legendary acts combined to write yet another chapter in the ongoing story of Bay Area thrash metal. Hitting the stage with the intro to “The Ultra-Violence,” Death Angel were in top form from the word “go,” and kicked off the evening with a blistering eight song set, wasting no time pumping up the already voracious crowd. Vocalist Mark Osegueda had every person in the already packed venue in the palm of hi...
Mötley Crüe Sell Entire Recording Catalog to BMG for a Reported $150 Million
This must feel good for Mötley Crüe: The band has sold its entire recording catalog to BMG for a reported $150 million. The deal includes all their studio albums from their 1981 debut, Too Fast for Love, through their most recent LP, 2008’s Saints of Los Angeles, plus their live releases and compilations. While Variety cites sources as valuing the deal at roughly $150 million, the publication also notes that other sources report that the dollar amount is “significantly lower.” Either way, it’s quite a windfall for the hard-rock veterans, who were able to secure the rights to their catalog from Elektra Records in the ’90s with help from manager Allen Kovac. Advertisement Overall, Mötley Crüe have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, with seven of their LPs going platinum or multipla...
Judas Priest Unveil Rescheduled 2022 North American Tour Dates
Judas Priest have rescheduled their 2022 “50 Heavy Metal Years” North American tour. Queensrÿche have replaced Sabaton as the support act for the new dates. Judas Priest were forced to postpone the remainder of their fall tour when guitarist Richie Faulkner nearly died after suffering a major heart emergency during the band’s set at the Louder Than Life fest in September. Faulkner’s aorta ruptured onstage during the band’s last song, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he underwent a 10-hour life-saving surgery. Faulkner is now headed toward recovery and Judas Priest appear ready to return to the road in 2022. The updated itinerary kicks off March 4th in Peoria, Illinois, and concludes on April 13th in Laval, Quebec, with tickets available via Ticketmaster. Advertisement Related V...
Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi Returns with New Song “Scent of Dark”: Stream
Toni Iommi has returned with a new signature cologne and song, “Scent of Dark”, his first new rock-oriented music in more than eight years. Iommi teamed with Italian perfumier Xerjoff for the boutique cologne, an unexpected branding endeavor for the legendary Black Sabbath guitarist. Iommi is well aware of what fans might think about his new endorsement. “They’ll think I’ve gone mad,” he told Rolling Stone with a laugh. “It’s something I would’ve never thought of involving myself in. But it’s been nice to be involved in it.” Advertisement Related Video Anything that means new music from Iommi is cool by us. He previously contributed a classical piece for the Birmingham Cathedral in 2017, but otherwise, “Scent of Dark” is Iommi’s first traditionally heavy rock song since Black Sabbath’s 201...
Brian May Slams Elimination of Gendered Awards, Wonders If Queen Would Be Forced to Have Transgender Member
Queen guitarist Brian May slammed the BRIT Awards for their removal of gender-specific award categories. He also wondered whether Queen would be have been “forced” to have transgender and multi-racial band members if they existed in present day. In an interview with The Mirror, May compared the BRIT Awards’ shift away from male and female-specific categories to an infringement on personal freedom. He then used the topic to pontificate on a what he calls an “atmosphere of fear” that is plaguing society. “…because people are afraid to say how they really think,” May said with a fearful tone himself, then warning that “there will be some kind of explosion.” Advertisement Related Video Even less tactfully, May went on to say that Queen “would be forced to have people of different colors and di...
Master of Flushes: Toilet in the Likeness of Metallica’s Lars Ulrich Is Creepy as Hell
We shit you not — someone made a toilet bowl in the likeness of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, and it’s freaking us out. The man behind the creepy creation is none other than the same dude who may or may not have made a guitar out of his dead uncle’s bones. Prince Midnight, as he is known, made headlines at the beginning of this year when he seemingly created a guitar out of his dead uncle’s skeleton. He had claimed that the skeleton had been donated to a local college in Greece, where it was used for educational purposes, but was no longer needed by the institution. When a proper burial would have incurred some major expenses, he decided to turn the bones into a functional guitar. However, later reports suggested the whole thing may have been an elaborate hoax. This time there’s no denyin...
2021 Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Holiday Gift Guide
Another holiday season is upon us, and for metal and hard rock fans, that means merch. As fans of heavy music, we support our favorite artists by purchasing physical media, apparel, and memorabilia. It’s an integral part of the heavy metal way of life, and rare are the occasions when we can ask others to buy these precious artifacts for us. Likewise, if you have a fan of metal and hard rock in your life, then you are probably well aware of the genre’s collector culture and obsession with iconography. We would willingly give our hard-earned money for multiple vinyl variants of Slayer’s Hell Awaits. Even better if such a blasphemous record was sitting under the tree on X-mas morning: the ultimate soundtrack to the burning of the yule log. After a year of covering vinyl reissues, book announc...
In Photos: Mastodon, Opeth, and Zeal & Ardor Bring the Metal Thunder to New York City
Atlanta metal giants Mastodon and Swedish progressive metal favorites Opeth are in the midst of their co-headlining US tour, which features support from avant-metal act Zeal & Ardor. The 15-date run kicked off in Asheville, North Carolina, at the ExploreAsheville.com Arena on November 16th and is set to conclude in Denver, Colorado, at the Mission Ballroom on December 5th, with tickets available here. The trek made its way to New York City at the legendary Hammerstein Ballroom this past Saturday (November 20th) for a gigantic showing. Supporting their brand new album Hushed and Grim, Mastodon played a slew of new songs in NYC: “Pain With an Anchor,” “The Crux,” “Teardrinker,” “Skeleton of Splendor,” “Pushing the Tides,” “More than I Could Chew,” and “Gobblers of Dregs” (marking the tra...
Evanescence Offer First Look at Graphic Novel The Revolution of Cassandra: Exclusive
Evanescence are gearing up for the release of the second book in their ongoing graphic anthology series, Echoes From the Void, and Heavy Consequence has an exclusive first look at a multi-page excerpt. The new issue, titled The Revolution of Cassandra, was created by singer Amy Lee and film director Eric D. The book features Howell’s story based on Evanescence’s single “Use My Voice” from their 2021 studio album, The Bitter Truth. Howell also directed the music video for “Use My Voice.” Regarding the scene depicted in our exclusive preview, Howell tells Heavy Consequence, “This scene happens early in the story and sets up the central conflict between Cassandra and her sister Moira. Cassandra is all about peace, love, and anything astrological, while Moria is grounded, pragmatic, and c...
Grammys 2022: AC/DC, Deftones, Chris Cornell, Foo Fighters Lead Rock + Metal Nominees
The nominees for the 2022 Grammy Awards have been unveiled, with AC/DC, Deftones, Foo Fighters, and the late Chris Cornell leading the way in the rock and metal categories. Wolfgang Van Halen, Gojira, Mastodon, Dream Theater, and Rob Zombie also received nods in various categories, rounding out an impressive stable of heavy artists being represented at the 2022 ceremony. Nominees for Best Metal Performance — the Grammys’ only metal-centric category — included Deftones for their track “Genesis,” Dream Theater (“The Alien”), Gojira (“Amazonia”), Mastodon (“Pushing the Tides”), and Rob Zombie (“The Triumph of King Freak [A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition]”). Advertisement Related Video In Best Rock Performance, Deftones were nominated for “Ohms” alongside AC/DC (“Shot in the Dark”...
System of a Down’s 10 Best Songs
System of a Down are one of the most eclectic metal bands to achieve massive success. From 1998 through 2005, the Armenian-American group out of California put out a series of acclaimed albums, but then went silent as a recording act for 15 years. Despite the lack of new music (save for a couple of surprise new songs in 2020), System of a Down’s discography rivals that of any heavy group of the past quarter century. Singer Serj Tankian’s unmistakeable voice ranges from frenetic to operatic, while guitarist-singer Daron Malakian’s riffs are catchy and chaotic at the same time. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan is as mighty and technically skilled as just about any in heavy metal. Combine those musical sensibilities with lyrics that are both so...
Puddle of Mudd Singer Wes Scantlin Slurs Words, Covers Face, Walks Offstage in Latest Onstage Meltdown: Watch
It’s been more than a decade since Puddle of Mudd were putting out hit after hit on mainstream rock radio, but somehow we can always count on singer Wes Scantlin for a good headline every six months or so. In his latest onstage meltdown, the frontman seemed to barely get the words out to the band’s hits, complained that the lighting is blinding him, and abruptly ended the show after just four songs. Scantlin has been a fixture on TMZ for the past several years due in large part to a number of run-ins with the law. Highlights include such classics as forcing a bomb squad to come out when he seemingly rigged up his car with detonators, and the time he took a ride on the luggage conveyor belt at the Denver Airport. During Puddle of Mudd’s show at the EPIC Event Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin,...
