Heavy Metal
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”...
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...
Rage Against the Machine: Kyle Rittenhouse “Killed People Who Were Fighting for Racial Justice”
Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges on Friday (November 19th) after he fired an AR-15-style assault rifle that killed two protesters and seriously injured another at a 2020 rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Among those expressing outrage at the verdict are Rage Against the Machine, who issued a powerful statement via their social media channels. The protest rally came after a black man named Jacob Blake was paralyzed after being shot by Kenosha police. A then 17-year-old Rittenhouse, seemingly there to protect a used-car lot, fired shots that killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, and severely damaged Gaige Grosskreutz’s right arm. Among the five felony charges that Rittenhouse faced was one of intentional murder that could have resulted in life in prison had he been found guilty....
New Video of Kids Covering Slipknot Has Higher Production Value Than Most Metal Videos: Watch
When you see the YouTube title “9 yr old sings Slipknot & Unleashes Chaos,” you expect a fun iPhone video of some youngster rocking out to his favorite metal band. But in the case of the O’Keefe Music Foundation’s latest upload, you get a slick music video that rivals or even exceeds the production value of most metal videos. The nonprofit O’Keefe Music Foundation has been producing videos for young rockers over the past several years, often showcasing teens and pre-teens with impressive musical skills. A video of youngsters performing Tool’s “Forty Six & 2” has racked up 25 million views for the channel, while other covers of songs by Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, Pantera, and more have also garnered millions of views. In the O’Keefe Music Foundation’s latest clip, a young girl name...
Animals as Leaders Announce New Album Parrhesia, Share “The Problem of Other Minds”: Stream
Animals as Leaders have announced their fifth studio album, Parrhesia, out March 25th. Ahead of the release, the instrumental prog-metal band has shared the video for the new song “The Problem of Other Minds.” Guided by the otherworldly talents of guitarist Tosin Abasi, Animals as Leaders have become a forerunner in the realm of progressive metal and djent. The band continues to push the boundaries of rhythmic syncopation and dissonance, as heard on “The Problem of Other Mind.” Parrhesia will be Animals as Leaders’ first studio effort since 2016’s The Madness of Many. In that span, the group dropped its first live album, Live 2017. Advertisement Related Video “It’s been a while since we’ve released a body of work,” Abasi said. “We’re really proud of this collection of songs as well as the ...
Metallica Announce San Francisco Takeover Coinciding with 40th Anniversary Shows
Metallica are turning their 40th anniversary into a complete takeover of San Francisco, unveiling a series of events coinciding with their previously announced December arena shows at the city’s Chase Center. A number of club gigs featuring bands related to Metallica (in some cases, literally related), as well as gallery shows, book signings, film screenings, and more will take place over the course of a few days next month. Of course, the main events are Metallica’s two shows at the Chase Center on December 17th and 19th. Ten years ago, the band commemorated their 30th anniversary with a series of shows at the Fillmore that featured past members of the group (including Dave Mustaine and Jason Newsted), as well as a number of metal luminaries. Hopefully, there will be lots of surprises in ...
High on Fire’s Matt Pike Shares Exclusive Look at Upcoming Illustrated Lyrics Book
High on Fire frontman Matt Pike has shared an exclusive look at his illustrated lyrics book, Head on a Pike, exclusively via Heavy Consequence. The singer-guitarist has offered up the Electric Messiah chapter of the tome, which arrives in bookstores December 7th. This portion features artwork by Derrick Snodgrass alongside printed lyrics and song titles. Considering the crushing heaviness of the Electric Messiah record, it’s easy to miss some of Pike’s lyrics. Here, they’re presented with elegant minimalism, broken down by stanzas and verses, like a poetry book. Advertisement Related Video Pike also confirmed to Heavy Consequence that the overt Motörhead influence on Electric Messiah were intentional. In fact, the LP was conceived as an homage to Lemmy. “Electric Messiah is my tribute...
Ranking: Every Mastodon Album from Worst to Best
Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we follow Mastodon’s impressive career, from their 2002 debut, Remission, to their most recent effort, 2021’s Hushed and Grim. Atlanta quartet Mastodon have spent 20-plus years as one of the most daring, dexterous, and delightfully badass metal bands of the new millennium. That’s no small feat considering how many forward-thinking acts are out there. However, it’s hard to disagree given the foursome’s unparalleled knack for channeling influences like Iron Maiden, Neurosis, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson into wholly characteristic concoctions of vibrant sludge/stoner/progressive metal madness. From ...
Brass Against Singer Apologizes for Peeing on Fan’s Face as NASCAR Permanently Bans Band From Its Venues
The old adage “there’s no such thing as bad press” apparently doesn’t apply when you intentionally urinate on a fan’s face in the middle of a festival performance. At least that seems to be the case for Brass Against and their singer Sophia Urista, who on Tuesday night issued yet another apology for her actions this past weekend at Welcome to Rockville Festival in Daytona Beach, Florida. “I have always pushed the limits in music and stage. That night, I pushed the limits too far,” Urista wrote in a statement posted to her personal Twitter account. “I love my family, the band, and the fans more than anything and I know that some were hurt or offended by what I did. I apologize to them and want them to know that I didn’t mean to hurt them.” Advertisement Related Video “I am not a shock artis...
