Heavy Consequence
Mining Metal: Dungeon Serpent, Hellish Form, Lantlos, Mesa, Midwife, Mordred, Night Crowned, Sallow Moth
As I write this introduction, I’ve just found out about the passing of Mike Howe, vocalist of the criminally underrated band Metal Church. He was 55 years old — too young. The last time I memorialized a musician in this column, it was Entombed vocalist L.G. Petrov. Howe’s story differs from Petrov’s in two critical ways. First, because Petrov’s passing was unfortunate but expected, whereas Howe’s was surprising. Second, while Petrov and Entombed had gone their separate ways, the band had achieved notoriety commensurate with their artistic output. In contrast, Howe had been an active member of Metal Church at the time of his death. Despite 40 years of existence, the band isn’t as well known as they deserve to be. Metal Church was one of the Seattle-area ’80s heavy metal bands that, alongsid...
Rainbow in the Dark Admirably Chronicles Ronnie James Dio’s Iconic Career: Book Review
For years, Ronnie James Dio fans have been patiently waiting for an autobiography that he had begun work on prior to his passing in 2010 from stomach cancer. Now, we have finally received Rainbow in the Dark: The Autobiography. First off, readers should know that the idea behind the book was to recount the story of the legendary metal vocalist (real name: Ronald James Padavona) from birth up until his fulfillment of a lifelong career dream, when Dio headlined Madison Square Garden in 1986 (as the leader of his eponymous band). The book was not completed before Dio’s passing, but with the help of his wife/manager, Wendy Dio, and respected rock journalist Mick Wall, the missing bits have been filled in commendably. As a reader of many rock autobiographies over the years, I must admit that I ...
Joey Jordison’s 10 Most Jaw-Dropping Slipknot Drum Moments
The tragic passing of Joey Jordison at the age of 46 this week meant the loss of one of modern metal’s greatest drummers. As a founding member of Slipknot, he influenced countless young musicians with both his skills behind the kit and his prolific songwriting. Jordison played drums in Slipknot from 1995 through 2013, and appeared on the band’s 1999 self-titled LP, 2001’s Iowa, 2004’s Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses, and 2008’s All Hope Is Gone. His frenetic, idiosyncratic playing came to define Slipknot’s percussive sound, and he was responsible for co-writing a number of their best-known tracks. Following Jordison’s death, two of metal’s best all-time drummers — Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater, The Winery Dogs) and Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Misfits) — praised Jordison as an “incre...
Marilyn Manson Seeks to Dismiss Esmé Bianco’s Lawsuit, Describes Assault Allegations by Multiple Women as “Coordinated Attack”
Marilyn Manson has filed legal papers seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by Game of Thrones actress Esmé Bianco. In the same documents, the disgraced singer describes the recent sexual assault allegations by multiple women as a “coordinated attack.” Bianco is one of a number of women who have accused Manson of sexual abuse over the past several months. As previously reported, she sued the shock rocker in April for sexual assault, physical abuse, and human trafficking. She first shared her story in February, weeks after actress Evan Rachel Wood went public with her accusations against Manson. Bianco described Manson as “monster who almost destroyed me,” adding that she “basically felt like a prisoner” while living with the singer. She accused Manson of using “drugs, force...
Rock World Reacts to the Death of ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill: “What an Icon”
The rock community is mourning the passing of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, who died in his sleep at age 72. Hill was an indispensable longtime member of the “Tres Hombres” and famously sported a lengthy beard like his bandmate Billy Gibbons. Musically, Hill had a gift for rhythm, holding down the band’s airtight bluesy rock tunes with drummer Frank Beard. ZZ Top had just kicked off a massive U.S. tour when Hill was sidelined with a “hip issue.” Longtime guitar tech Elwood Francis filled in on bass for a handful of dates, and today it was announced that Hill passed away in his sleep at his home in Houston. Following the sad news, fellow musicians and rock icons took to social media to pay tribute to Hill and his musical legacy. Advertisement Related Video John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater ...
Turnstile Book Fall 2021 Tour with $uicideboy$, Unveil New Song “Blackout”: Stream
Turnstile have unleashed the new song “Blackout” as the latest single from their forthcoming album, Glow On. In addition, the band has unveiled dates for a fall 2021 US tour with hip-hop acts $uicideboy$ and Slowthai. Following the recent release of the chill-out song “Alien Love Call” (featuring Blood Orange), “Blackout” offers a wide range from Turnstile’s eclectic musical palette, including melodic verses, a hardcore chorus, and improvisational drum solos. The song is accompanied by a music video featuring animation by Alexis Jamet and Logan Triplett. Glow On will arrive on August 27th, and was preceded by the recent Turnstile Love Connection EP. With all four tracks from the EP (including the anthemic “Mystery”) included on the full-length album, we’ve now heard six songs from the 15-s...
R.I.P. Joey Jordison, Former Slipknot Drummer Dead at 46
Former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison has died at the age of 46. According to a statement issued by his family, Jordison “passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 26th, 2021.” A cause of death was not immediately disclosed. “Joey’s death has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow,” his family’s statement reads. “To those that knew Joey, understood his quick wit, his gentle personality, giant heart and his love for all things family and music.” Advertisement Jordison was a founding member of Slipknot and played in the band until his departure in December 2013. He later revealed that he suffered from transverse myelitis, a neurological disease that limited his the ability to play the drums. The drummer suggested that his condition led Slipknot to fire him from the ...
Exodus Drummer Tom Hunting Is Cancer Free After Undergoing Total Gastrectomy
Exodus drummer Tom Hunting recently underwent a total gastrectomy (removal of the stomach), and it appears the surgery was a success. The veteran thrash musician is now cancer free, according to a post on bandmate Gary Holt’s Instagram account. Earlier this month, Hunting announced that he would be undergoing the procedure in his effort to battle squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach. A total gastrectomy removes the entire stomach and parts of any neighboring organs affected by the cancer. The end of the esophagus is then attached to the small intestine to allow for digestion. While he must recover and adjust to his new digestive system, the message posted on Holt’s Instagram offers an encouraging outlook: “Tom has been home for around a week now, is doing very well despite the pain, is e...
R.I.P. Mike Howe, Metal Church Singer Dies at 55
Mike Howe, lead singer of the veteran band Metal Church, has died at the age of 55. No cause of death has been reported, but the band announced his passing via Facebook on Monday evening (July 26th). “It is with our deepest regrets that we must announce the passing of our brother, our friend and true legend of heavy metal music. Mike Howe passed away this morning at his home in Eureka, California,” reads the band’s statement. “We are devastated and at a loss for words. Please respect our privacy and the Howe family’s privacy during this most difficult time.” The band formed in 1980 in the Bay Area as Shrapnel, impacting the thrash metal scene that was about to explode a couple years later. They moved to Aberdeen, Washington, early in their career and changed their name to Metal Church in 1...
Glenn Danzig Announces Theatrical Release Date for His Movie Death Rider in the House of Vampires
Glenn Danzig has announced the theatrical release date for his upcoming vampire Spaghetti Western, Death Rider in the House of Vampires. In a post on his Facebook, Danzig said that the film will hit select theaters across the United on August 27th. There will also be advance screenings in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. More details are coming soon, according to the post. Danzig’s second original feature-length film had been announced a while ago, but a release date had no been revealed until now. We previously saw the morbidly hilarious NSFW trailer, which starred Danzig in his central role as the character Bad Bathory. Advertisement Related Video The veteran rocker wrote, directed, scored, and stars in the upcoming film alongside the likes of Devon Sawa, Julian Sands, Danny Trejo, Eli Roth, a...
AC/DC-Loving Boy Ends Run on The Voice Kids Spain with Performance of Europe’s “Final Countdown”: Watch
The memorable run of Jesús del Río on The Voice Kids Spain has come to an end. The young boy went viral with his rousing rendition of the AC/DC classic “Highway to Hell” during the blind auditions and then earned a trip to the finals by singing “Back in Black.” For the 8-year-old’s last performance, he sang the Europe anthem “The Final Countdown,” but it wasn’t enough to win the competition. Jesús is clearly a fan of hard rock, having looked quite uncomfortable singing Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven” during the battle round. Until his performance in the finals, it appeared that AC/DC was the only band that suited his wailing vocals. However, he performed an admirable rendition of “The Final Countdown” for his last song of the competition. Ultimately, Jesús’ coach, Spanish singer Melendi...
Lynyrd Skynyrd Guitarist Gary Rossington Undergoes Emergency Heart Surgery
Gary Rossington, the last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, recently underwent emergency heart surgery. The legendary Southern rock act announced the news after the guitarist missed the band’s recent concerts. Rossington was with Lynyrd Skynyrd when they resumed their long-running farewell tour in June, following 15 months off the road due to the pandemic. However, he hadn’t been onstage with the band for their latest gigs. The guitarist has had a history of heart issues in recent years, suffering a heart attack in 2015 and undergoing quintuple bypass surgery. That was followed by having his heart valve repaired in 2019. He once told Tampa Bay Times, “I’ve had heart attacks on stage a lot.” Advertisement Related Video The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame act explained Rossington’s a...
