Heavy Metal
Megadeth Launch Their Own Cryptocurrency $MEGA Coin
Megadeth have launched their own cryptocurrency called $MEGA coin. The thrash legends are the latest band to dabble in crypto, which has become a trend in the music industry. Whether its digital goods such as NFTs or entirely new digital currencies, artists are finding unique ways to incorporate cryto into merch packages and even charitable efforts (as Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe and DevilDriver’s Dez Fafara have done with Chakra Coin). Megadeth’s $MEGA coin ties into the band’s Cyber Army membership program. Depending on your membership tier, you might already have access to some free $MEGA. Advertisement Related Video “By buying, holding, and transacting with $MEGA, fans will gain access to exclusives and premium benefits,” reads the announcement on Megadeth’s website. “Cyber Army members...
Cult of Luna Detail New Album, Unveil Lead Single “Cold Burn”: Stream
Cult of Luna have detailed their new album, The Long Road North, arriving February 11th via Metal Blade. The Swedish band also shared the video for the lead single “Cold Burn.” The new album follows Cult of Luna’s 2021 EP The Raging River, which continued the band’s prolific streak of post-metal offerings. “Cold Burn” sees the band unleashing more torrential atmospheric sludge — tones dense and immersive enough to keep us warm for the winter months to come. “It’s a big and cinematic sounding album,” said Cult of Luna singer-guitarist Johannes Persson in the press announcement. “I think one of the reasons why we have been able to be so productive the last couple of years is that we have been consistently writing from the heart. We have let our instincts guide us, and I think it’s getting cl...
Volbeat’s Michael Poulsen on Servant of the Mind, Tour with Ghost, and Metallica’s Black Album
Danish rockers Volbeat are back with their eighth studio album, Servant of the Mind, just released via Republic Records. Musically, the album hearkens back to the band’s earlier, heavier days, with relentless riffing and punching rhythms, while also representing how far they’ve come as a group. “You can definitely hear a band that sounds very young, but at the same time, a band that has a lot of experience with the style we started so many years ago,” frontman Michael Poulsen tells Heavy Consequence. In addition to releasing the new album, Volbeat are prepping for a highly anticipated co-headlining US arena tour with Swedish metal masters Ghost. The outing kicks off January 25th in Reno, Nevada, and runs through a March 3rd show in Anaheim, California. Tickets are available now via Ticketm...
Volbeat’s Michael Poulsen: “I’ve Always Been Fascinated by Dark Forces”
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen jumps on the line with Kyle Meredith to talk about Servant of the Mind, an album made after a prolific writing period during the first lockdown. The Danish musician discusses the heaviness of the record, what draws him to his dark lyrics, and taking musical inspiration from Black Sabbath. Poulsen also tells us about the supernatural experiences he’s had and how they made their way into the set, and what we might expect from Volbeat’s upcoming tour with Ghost. (Tickets for that tour are available here!) Advertisement Related Video Elsewhere, Poulsen discusses covering The Cramps’ version of Roy ...
Heavy Culture: Alien Weaponry on Māori Ideology, New Album Tangaroa, and Touring with Gojira
Heavy Culture is a monthly column from journalist Liz Ramanand, focusing on artists of different cultural backgrounds in heavy music, as they offer their perspectives on race, society, and more as it intersects with and affects their craft. The latest installment of this column features Lewis and Henry de Jong of Alien Weaponry. New Zealand metal act Alien Weaponry have recently released their latest album, Tangaroa, and they also wrapped up a tour supporting supporting Gojira and Knocked Loose. The band’s music is written and sung in both Māori and English, with themes that center around the ideologies and history of the culture. Heavy Consequence caught up with brothers Lewis de Jong (vocals, guitar) and Henry de Jong (drums) while they were on the road with Gojira. They spoke about tour...
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...
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...
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...
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”...
