Heavy Metal
As I Lay Dying Singer Tim Lambesis Hospitalized with Burns to 25% of His Body
As I Lay Dying singer Tim Lambesis is in the hospital after a bonfire accident left him with burns to 25% of his body. The controversial metal vocalist, who notoriously served time for attempting to hire a hitman to murder his estranged wife, posted about his condition Wednesday (December 16th) on Instagram. The metalcore singer shared a photo of himself in the hospital, fully bandaged but with a smile on his face as he was about to undergo a procedure to remove dead skin. Along with the picture, Lambesis offered details about the incident and his road to recovery: “Keep your head up no matter what! I’m doing the best I can to make a thumbs up on my way to surgery (in about 30 minutes). I apologize to my friends that I have not had the time to fill in yet on what happened. The entire gas c...
Sharon Osbourne Tests Positive for COVID-19, Briefly Hospitalized
Sharon Osbourne has revealed that she has tested positive for COVID-19, and was briefly hospitalized as a result. She is now recuperating at a location away from her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, who recently disclosed that he has emphysema, among his other health issues. The 68-year-old host of the daytime TV program The Talk reported her positive test result via Twitter on Monday evening (December 14th), writing, “I wanted to share I’ve tested positive for COVID-19. After a brief hospitalization, I’m now recuperating at a location away from Ozzy (who has tested negative) while The Talk is on scheduled hiatus. Everyone please stay safe and healthy.” Sharon, who is also Ozzy’s manager, went public with her COVID-19 diagnosis just a few days after her Talk co-host Carrie Ann Inaba had shared that...
Lamb of God Announce Second Signature Coffee: “Overlord” Dark Roast
Lamb of God, photo by Antonio Marino Jr. / “Overlord” Dark Roast, courtesy of Adrenaline PR Lamb of God have revealed their second signature coffee, the “Overlord” dark roast, continuing their collaboration with Nightflyer Roastworks. Lamb of God and Nightflyer previously teamed up for the “Memento Mori” roast. The two were gracious enough to supply Heavy Consequence with a sample, and it was fine coffee indeed. While “Memento Mori” was a bright all-purpose roast, great for an everyday cup or espresso, “Overlord” makes for darker brew and is a take on classic diner coffee. The idea for Lamb of God signature coffee comes from guitarist Willie Adler’s long-time hobby of DIY roasting and exploring coffee shops around the world while on tour. Together with Nightflyer owner Paul Wag...
Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Richie Kotzen Form New Outfit, Unveil “Taking My Chances”: Stream
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and veteran rocker Richie Kotzen have joined forces for the new blues-rock project Smith/Kotzen. In announcing the new outfit, the pair have unveiled their debut single, “Taking My Chances”. Longtime friends and colleagues, Smith and Kotzen are a formidable guitar pairing and prove as much on the new song. This ain’t Maiden, but rather a love letter to the electric blues. Smith and Kotzen share a mutual love of the genre that can be traced back through the years, like the time Smith played and sang a cover of Cream’s iconic “Crossroads” at one of Kotzen’s birthday parties. A natural chemistry can be heard on “Taking My Chances”. “I think Richie and I complement each other really well,” Smith said in a press release. “He’s a virtuoso guitarist, but he...
Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou Announce New EP, Cover the Cranberries’ “Hollywood”: Stream
Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou have announced a new surprise collaborative EP titled The Helm of Sorrow, which arrives January 15th via Sacred Bones. They’ve also shared new cover of The Cranberries‘ “Hollywood” and a separate short, “Elysian Fields”, created by Thou’s Mitch Wells. The four-song EP includes B-sides from the excellent 2020 album from Rundle and Thou, May Our Chambers Be Full. In fact, the tracks were included on Sacred Bones’ “diehard” edition of the Chambers, but will receive a widespread release as The Helm of Sorrow, a suitably metal title. The cover of “Hollywood” is as captivating as anything we’ve heard from the pairing. Perhaps the artists or label realized these songs were too good to languish on a limited, exclusive release. No complaints here. A far cry from the origin...
R.I.P. Jason Slater, Original Third Eye Blind Bassist and Queensrÿche Producer Dies at 49
Jason Slater, who was the original bassist in the band Third Eye Blind and a longtime producer for Queensrÿche, has died at the age of 49. His daughter Alyssa reported that Slater died from liver failure at a hospital in Maui, according to TMZ. While Slater was Third Eye Blind’s original bassist and backup vocalist, he did not appear on any of the pop-rock act’s albums. He was a member from 1993 to 1994, recording their first demo. He left the group before they scored huge success with their six-times platinum 1997 self-titled debut, which yielded the hits “Semi-Charmed Life”, “Jumper”, and “How’s It Gonna Be”. A rep for Third Eye Blind revealed to TMZ that the band hadn’t spoken with Slater since 1996, but added, “When a spirited member of the music scene is taken too soon, it is always a...
Trapt’s Twitter Suspended After Rant Seemingly Defending Statutory Rape
MAGA proud boys Trapt are at it again. If the racist and xenophobic ravings of frontman Chris Taylor Brown weren’t bad enough, the band’s toxic Twitter feed has finally been suspended after a rant seemingly defending underage student-teacher relationships and statutory rape. This after Trapt’s Facebook was suspended for “violating community standards” following a pro-Proud Boys post. The latest debacle appears to have started when someone trudged up a screenshot of one of the band’s old Twitter replies, no doubt scavenged from a pile of similarly tasteless remarks made throughout the years. This one defended underage student-teacher relationships, and the screenshot reignited the argument between Trapt (likely Brown) and an angry mob of angry commenters. Trapt doubled down on their old rep...
Every Time I Die Share New Songs “A Colossal Wreck” and “Desperate Pleasures”: Stream
Every Time I Die have returned with the double single, “A Colossal Wreck” and “Desperate Pleasures”. They’ve also announced a livestream event for December 19th. The songs mark the first new music from the Buffalo, New York hardcore act since 2016. In the interim, the band’s lost none of their mathematic prowess and virtuosic precision. If the rest of Every Time I Die’s forthcoming ninth studio album lives up to these tracks, fans are in for another excellent slice of passionate metal. As the titles “A Colossal Wreck” and “Desperate Pleasures” imply, there’s more than a little of 2020 that’s seeped into the new material. Vocalist Keith Buckley stated in a press release that the songs are “two sides of the same reactionary coin.” “While ‘A Colossal Wreck’ looks around at the current state o...
Top 30 Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2020
Our Annual Report looks back upon the strange year that was 2020 and the music, film, and television that came with it. Here, we present our Top 30 Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2020. In a year we’d mostly like to forget, the world of heavy music brought us many memorable releases. While we wait for concerts to return, we have a treasure trove of new metal and hard rock albums that amplify the anticipation of seeing our favorite bands return to stages. 2020 has been dominated by a worldwide pandemic, and if anything can provide us with a daily distraction from the suffering and uncertainty, it’s good music. Thankfully, dozens of bands decided to release new albums this year, despite not being able to tour in support of their latest studio efforts. As a reminder that life is filled with comeb...
Anthrax’s Scott Ian Unveils New SGT D Guitar Pedal
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has teamed up with KHDK Electronics for a limited-edition signature SGT D guitar pedal. Stylized with the infamous Sargent D mascot from Ian’s crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.), the two-in-one pedal functions as a boost/pre-distortion EQ control and has another section for amp modeling that emulates the guitarist’s S.O.D.-era tones. To top it off, as you play, the tip of Sgt. D’s cigar lights up red. “Get this if you want to stop shitting in people’s ears with your ass tone,” states the Sgt. D (aka Ian) in the product description. “Scott knew what he wanted — a ruthlessly vicious pedal that captures his S.O.D. amp tone,” David Karon of KHDK wrote. “Of course, the absolute maniac that he is, he also wanted it to work as a magical booster and m...
Eyehategod Detail New Album A History of Nomadic Behavior, Share “High Risk Trigger”: Stream
New Orleans sludge metal vets Eyehategod have detailed their previously announced new album, A History of Nomadic Behavior. The 12-song effort arrives March 12th and marks the band’s first new LP in seven years. Eyehategod have also shared the album’s lead single, the politically charged “High Risk Trigger”. While singer Mike IX Williams says the band rarely touches on politics, the song tackles the subject of police brutality. The rest of the album also has overtones of the socio-political disruption prevalent in modern America. “We’re not a political band, but it was hard not to be affected by the news from the past year,” Williams said in a press release. “During this recording, I thought a lot about how stupid humanity has become and how America is now completely divided with these peo...
The HU Unleash Mongolian Cover of Metallica’s “Sad But True”: Stream
Mongolian act The HU have covered the Metallica classic “Sad But True” in their native tongue, employing both traditional Mongolian instruments and throat singing. It’s a passionately detailed twist on the catchy metal song, transforming the song’s hook and bouncy riff into something new altogether. It manages to sound like The HU’s other traditional Mongolian folk rock without losing the song’s inherent Metallica-ness. Don’t worry, you can still effectively headbang to it. “Like millions of people around the world, Metallica has been a huge influence and inspiration for us as music fans and musicians,” The HU’s Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar said in a press release. “We admire their 40 years of relentless touring and the timeless, unique music they have created. It is a great honor to show...
