Heavy Metal
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...
Metallica Announce Mysterious “Black Box” Time Capsule Vault
Metallica have announced a mysterious time capsule vault dubbed the “Black Box.” The band revealed the new venture in a press release. It appears the “Black Box” will be a Metallica museum of sorts, featuring historical content from the band’s career ranging from the “virtual to the physical.” “James, Lars, Kirk and Robert will ‘unbox’ their collections, pulling their favorite, most significant, and personally meaningful artifacts out of careful storage,” the press release states. “Much more than a ‘gateway’ to all things Metallica, The Metallica Black Box, in collaboration with Inveniem and Definitive Authentic, will provide access to the memories and experiences of the band members themselves, as it transports those who enter to lvirtually every imaginable time and place along the Metall...
Mayhem and Watain Announce 2022 North American Tour
Norwegian black metal legends Mayhem and Swedish black metal veterans Watain are teaming up for a co-headlining 2022 North American tour. Blackened speed metal band Midnight will serve as support. The tour, dubbed “The Sanguine Sodomy of North America,” kicks off March 7th in San Francisco and runs through an April 3rd show in Joliet, Illinois. Tickets go on sale this Friday (November 19th) via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning Thursday. In a press release, the two headliners stated, “Mayhem and Watain are delighted to announce that what is to become known in history as the sanguine sodomy of North America is set to take place in the spring of 2022, with both our bands at the helm and with the infamous Midnight joining us as special guests. Advertisement They added, “We hereby in...
Brass Against Onstage Urination Incident Leads to Police Report as More Details Emerge
Brass Against are dealing with the fallout from an onstage incident in which singer Sophia Urista urinated on a fan’s face at the Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida. Among the new developments is a police report that was filed concerning the episode. As previously reported, during Brass Against’s Thursday set at the rock fest, Urista singled out a male fan in the crowd with a camera mounted to his head. She called him up onto the stage while the band was covering Rage Against the Machine’s “Wake Up.” She then told him to lie down on the stage, at which point she pulled down her pants and urinated on his face. The man, seemingly thrilled by the act, then proceeded to stand up and spit the liquid into the audience. Needless to say, the incident made national headlines. A...
Welcome to Rockville 2022 Headliners: Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, KISS, and Korn
This year’s Welcome to Rockville festival is taking place right now, but organizers have just revealed the headliners for the 2022 edition. The Daytona Beach, Florida, event will return to its usual spring slot next year, with Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, KISS, and Korn topping the bill. Last night (November 12th), during the second day of this year’s four-day fest, promoter Danny Wimmer Presents broke the news of the 2022 headliners via the Welcome to Rockville social media channels. GN’R, Foo Fighters, and KISS are all Rock & Roll Hall of Fame acts, with the Foos having just been inducted, while Korn are a pioneering band that helped spearhead an entire new genre known as nu-metal. Since this year’s Welcome to Rockville was moved to November due to the pandemic, it means fans won’t h...
