Heavy Metal
Metallica Perform National Anthem Remotely at San Francisco Giants Game: Watch
The San Francisco Giants have hosted an annual “Metallica Night” the past several seasons, but with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping MLB stadiums vacant, the event didn’t happen this year. Instead, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield played “The Star-Spangled Banner” remotely prior to the Giants game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday (September 23rd). As they’ve done in the past, the duo donned Giants jerseys for the performance, but this time they rocked the anthem from their own headquarters. It’s not exactly Jimi Hendrix, but Hammett and Hetfield gave it a faithful go, synchronizing for a loose and joyous take, delivering a shred-tastic rendition. Heavy Consequence documented last year’s “Metallica Night”, a fond memory of what seems like a bygone age for the MLB. Hetfield ...
Dark Tranquillity Announce New Album and 2021 Tour Dates, Share “Phantom Days”: Stream
Melodic death metal pioneers Dark Tranquillity are returning with their first new album in four years, Moment, on November 20th. In anticipation, the Swedish band has shared the lead single, “Phantom Days”, and also announced a North American fall 2021 headlining tour with support from the decidedly obscure pairing of Obscura and Nailed to Obscurity. Dark Tranquillity have been proliferating melodic death metal since 1991 and are masters of the style at this point. “Phantom Days” continues the momentum gathered with 2016’s Atoma, which was heralded as a return to form for the band. Fans of melo-death will soak this one up. New guitarists Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy) and Johan Reinholdz (Nonexist) join the fold, and their contributions are immediately evident, with a strong solo anchor...
Anthrax Announce “Stop Spreading the Disease” Hand Sanitizer
Anthrax’s 1985 sophomore album, Spreading the Disease, turns 35 on October 30th, but the band is celebrating the anniversary by encouraging the opposite: The thrash legends have announced their own “Stop Spreading the Disease” hand sanitizer. Yes, as revealed by drummer Charlie Benante in an Instagram post (below), Anthrax now have their own line of hand sanitizer. Without the revenue from touring — guitarist Scott Ian thinks he’ll be out of a job as a touring musican until 2022 — metal bands have improvised new ways to shift merch and stay connected with fans. What’s more practical during a pandemic than branded hand sanitizer? Anthrax are here to make the otherwise mundane act of squirting your hands with ethyl alcohol a lot cooler. Besides, the band recently released its own bourbon whi...
Baroness Announce Stunning Picture-Disc Vinyl Editions of Red, Blue, and Yellow & Green
Baroness are releasing picture-disc vinyl editions of their first three full-length LPs, Red Album, Blue Record, and the double album Yellow & Green. They’re currently available for pre-order direct from the band for $29.99 each and arrive October 24th. It marks the first time the albums have seen a picture-disc pressing, having been released on a variety of color variants over the years. Each LP brings frontman John Dyer Baizley’s glorious cover art to wax — the first side of each emblazoned with the album artwork and the reverse side adorned with alternative patterns from the original sleeve designs. Each picture-disc edition is housed in a gatefold sleeve and limited to 4,500 copies. Baroness fans can attest to the collectivity of the band’s many vinyl color variants, so these might...
Prog-Metal Band The Ocean Have Fossil Named After Them, Unveil New Music: Stream
German progressive metal band The Ocean now have a fossil named after them. “Ophiacantha oceani” is a new brittle star fossil discovered by paleontologists at the Natural History Museum of Luxembourg. The nomenclature is especially fitting given the The Ocean’s own use of paleontological themes, like their new concept album, Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic, arriving this Friday (September 25th). The fossil was discovered by Dr. Lea Numberger and Dr. Ben Thuy, who are either metalheads or simply appreciated The Ocean’s obsession with paleontology. Declared Dr. Thuy: “Musicians who so skillfully combine arts and science, composing albums like Precambrian (with songs named after the periods of the Precambrian), Pelagial (with songs named after the bathymetric subdivisions of the water col...
The Sword Guitarist Says Metallica’s Kirk Hammett Had the Best Weed Ever
The Sword’s Kyle Shutt (photo by Jack Thompson) / Metallica’s Kirk Hammett (photo by Raymond Ahner) Back in 2008, Metallica and The Sword teamed up for the “World Magnetic Tour”. Somewhere along the way, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett offered The Sword’s Kyle Shutt some weed, and according to the guitarist, it’s the best he’s ever had. With Shutt playing guitar in one of the most renowned stoner metal bands, Metal Injection put the question to Shutt: Of the artists who’ve smoked him up, who had the best weed? Shutt answered immediately: “Kirk Hammett. He had this shit called ‘Romulan’ one time, which was, probably, the best weed I ever smoked.” A Leafly search of the Romulan strain, named after the wise and mysterious Star Trek race, reveals that its a “powerful indica revered for it...
Lars Ulrich Helps Settle Best All-Time Drummer Debate on Howard Stern Show
Neil Peart (via YouTube), Lars Ulrich (via Howard Stern), John Bonham (publicity) Howard Stern stirred up a debate on his SiriusXM show this week when he sought to determine the greatest drummer of all time. To settle the argument, he and his co-hosts called upon Metallica stickman Lars Ulrich to cast the deciding vote. Prior to Ulrich’s involvement, the Howard Stern Show personalities seemed to narrow it down to Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and Rush’s Neil Peart. Stern himself appeared to settle on Bonham, but the most qualified person on the staff, Richard Christy, made a strong case for Peart. In addition to being a longtime writer and personality on The Howard Stern Show, Christy is a gifted drummer himself, having played in the bands Death, Iced Earth, and his current supergroup Charred...
Win Ozzy Osbourne’s Massive See You on the Other Side Limited-Edition Box Set
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne’s landmark debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, we’re giving away Ozzy’s See You on the Other Side box set, autographed by the Prince of Darkness himself. The incredible collection packs 16 of Ozzy’s studio albums, EPs, and live releases across 24 pieces of color-splattered vinyl. Along with all of his studio LPs from 1980’s Blizzard of Ozz through 2010’s Scream, the set touts the EPs Mr. Crowley and Just Say Ozzy, plus concert albums Live & Loud and Live at Budokan. In addition, a collection of rarities, Flippin’ The B Side, is included, along with a “See You On the Other Side (Demo)” 7-inch flexi-disc. If that’s not enough, you also get 10 full-sized 24″x36″ posters. The Blizzard of Ozz album, which was released on September 20th, ...
50 Years Ago, Black Sabbath Deliver the Magnificent Paranoid
The “sophomore slump” has spelt the beginning of the end for quite a few rock acts over the years. But looking back, one of the cases in which the exact opposite occurred was when Black Sabbath delivered one of the greatest metal albums of all time, Paranoid. The Birmingham, UK-based band – singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward – had already caught the attention of rock fans with their detuned and doomy self-titled debut (released in February 1970 in the UK, and June in the United States). And they wasted no time capitalizing on the buzz – issuing Paranoid in the UK on September of that year. (It would arrive in the States in January 1971.) While Sabbath amazingly knocked out the recording of their debut album in a single day, they would t...
R.I.P. Lee Kerslake, Drummer for Ozzy Osbourne and Uriah Heep Dies at 73
Lee Kerslake, drummer on Ozzy Osbourne’s classic solo albums and longtime member of Uriah Heep, passed away Saturday (September 19th) at the age of 73. The veteran musician died after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. The drummer’s death was reported by Ken Hensley, a fellow former member of Uriah Heep. “It’s with the heaviest of hearts that I share with you that Lee Kerslake, my friend of 55 years and the best drummer I ever played with, lost his battle with cancer at 03:30 this morning,” wrote Hensley. “He died peacefully, praise The Lord, but he will be terribly missed.” He continued, “I know many of you were praying for him not to suffer and I thank you for that and, now that Lee is at peace, our thoughts and prayers should turn to his wife Sue who will need all the support she ca...
Ozzy Osbourne Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Blizzard of Ozz with Animated “Crazy Train” Video and More
Ozzy Osbourne is commemorating the 40th anniversary of his legendary solo debut, Blizzard of Ozz, with a wealth of experiences and goodies. In addition to the previously announced expanded digital edition of Blizzard of Ozz, Osbourne is re-releasing the 2010 documentary 30 Years After the Blizzard in HD while also sharing a newly created animated music video for “Crazy Train” — arguably Ozzy’s most well-known solo recording and perennial sports arena anthem. The festivities don’t stop there: SiriusXM Radio will air a one-hour special on Osbourne’s station, “Ozzy’s Boneyard”, on Friday (September 18th) at 5 p.m. ET. And if that’s not enough, Osbourne himself is hosting a Twitter listening party on Sunday (September 20th) at 7 p.m. ET, discussing songs from the album. Tons of new Blizzard-th...
Transgender Metalhead Satanist Wins Republican Nomination for County Sheriff
Wait until Fox News gets a load of this: A transgender metalhead satanist has won the Republican nomination for Cheshire County Sheriff in Keene, New Hampshire. Aria DiMezzo earned 4,211 votes from registered Republicans in a primary held Tuesday. Granted, DiMezzo ran unopposed and still has to compete in the general election against popular incumbent Eli Rivera, a Democrat seeking his fifth term. But DiMezzo was still amazed that so many registered Republicans voted for her. “I went into it expecting that I would lose the primary to a write-in candidate, because I didn’t think that so many voters were just… completely and totally oblivious about who they are voting for,” she wrote in a blog post. She continued, “Because the fact is that you didn’t bother. You trusted the system. You trust...
