Heavy Music News
Dave Grohl Reacts to Nirvana Nevermind Baby Lawsuit: “I Have Many Ideas of How We Should Alter That Cover”
Dave Grohl has reacted to the recent lawsuit brought against Nirvana by Spencer Elden, who was photographed as the baby on the cover of the band’s iconic 1991 album, Nevermind. In a new interview, the onetime Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman said he has “many ideas of how we should alter that cover.” Elden is suing multiple defendants — including Grohl, Krist Novoselic, the estate of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Universal Music Group, and more — alleging 30 years later that the naked underwater image of him as a 4-month-old baby was child pornography and that using it as the album cover was child sexual exploitation. In addition to seeking monetary compensation, Elden is requesting that the cover artwork be changed for all future releases of Nevermind, including the recentl...
Wolfgang Van Halen Joins Guns N’ Roses Onstage for “Paradise City”: Watch
Guns N’ Roses welcomed their support act, Wolfgang Van Halen, to the stage for a performance of “Paradise City” at the Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, Florida, on Saturday night (October 2nd). Wolfgang’s solo band Mammoth WVH has been opening up for GN’R since their US tour launched in late July. Last night, he was brought onto the stage at the end of Guns N’ Roses’ set by Axl Rose, who exclaimed, “Wolfgang Van Halen. You know how cool that is to say that? That’s f**kin’ cool. You don’t understand — we’re talking legacy!” With guitar in hand, Wolfgang joined Axl, Slash, Duff, and the rest of GN’R for their Appetite for Destruction hit, singing backup on the song, as well. Advertisement Related Video Overnight, Wolfgang tweeted out a couple of photos from the show, writing, “Yeah, this a...
Toyah Sings Velvet Underground’s “Venus in Furs” as Robert Fripp Gazes in Amazement: Watch
With Robert Fripp back at home in the UK following King Crimson’s US tour, he and wife Toyah Willcox are together again for “Sunday Lunch” performances in their kitchen. This time around, Toyah sings the Velvet Underground classic “Venus in Furs” as Fripp stares up at her with a devilish grin on his face. After receiving video messages featuring sultry performances from Toyah during the King Crimson outing, Fripp has been back for a few weeks now. Toyah welcomed him home a couple of Sundays ago by singing The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” as he walked through the door. And last week, Toyah busted out the James Bond theme “Goldfinger” for her guitarist husband. For the latest edition of “Sunday Lunch,” Toyah sings “Venus in Furs” while dancing on the couple’s dining table. The two-angle vide...
Savatage Frontman Jon Oliva Arrested for Cocaine Possession and DUI
Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra frontman Jon Oliva was arrested this week and charged with driving under the influence and felony possession of cocaine. According to a Florida Highway Patrol arrest report, police and EMS responded to a single vehicle crash on US Highway 41 shortly before 1:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, September 30th, in Pasco County, Florida. Witnesses told police that Oliva’s pickup truck had swerved into the wrong lane before driving off the road and striking a tree. The force of the crash ripped off the truck’s passenger side door. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found empty vodka bottles and a clear bag of cocaine. A second bag of cocaine was found in a bag belonging to Oliva. Advertisement Related Video Oliva was treated at the scene by paramedics, but a...
David Lee Roth Shares Music Video for New Song “Low-Rez Sunset”: Stream
David Lee Roth has released the new solo song “Low-Rez Sunset,” accompanied by a music video featuring original artwork by the Van Halen frontman. On the new song, Roth takes up an acoustic pop sound, applying his iconic voice to a laid back groove. It sounds like those classic Roth cuts on the early Van Halen albums, with a show-tunesy vibe and humorous lyrics. The fact that Diamond Dave also illustrated the video’s Flash-style animation makes the new song even more special. The track originally appeared as part of last fall’s “The Roth Project,” an online comic narrated by Roth featuring five solo songs. Advertisement Related Video That recording sessions featured Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 on guitar and bass, Greg Bissonette on drums, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, and Luis Conte on percus...
Rob Zombie Unveils “Entire Neighborhood” Built for His Upcoming Munsters Movie: Photos
After sharing in-progress pictures of the new 1313 Mockingbird Lane a few weeks ago, Rob Zombie has now unveiled an entire neighborhood that’s been constructed for his upcoming Munsters movie. Zombie, who is writing and directing the movie based on the popular 1960s TV sitcom, has been keeping fans updated on the movie set’s progress via his Instagram page. On Thursday (September 30th), he shared photos of the now-completed 1313 Mockingbird Lane (also known as the Munsters’ mansion), as well as a number of surrounding suburban homes. They’ve all been erected by a crew in Budapest, Hungary, where the movie is being filmed. “What a difference 7 days can make!,” wrote Zombie. “1313 is looking good! Lots of work left to do, but it is getting there! Takes a lot of work to build an entire neighb...
Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel Postpone “Bay Strikes Back Tour” until 2022
Less than one week before it was set to kick off, the “Bay Strikes Back Tour” featuring Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel has been pushed to 2022. All three legendary thrash bands cited COVID-19 safety concerns as the reason for the postponement. The three veteran metal acts know firsthand about the dangers of COVID-19, as they were among the first bands to be affected by the virus as they wrapped up the European leg of the trek in March 2020. Multiple members of touring package were infected, including Testament singer Chuck Billy, Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, and Death Angel drummer Will Carroll, who recovered from a serious battle against COVID after being put in a coma and on a respirator. The new dates will kick off April 9th in San Luis Obispo, California, and run through ...
David Lee Roth Is Retiring After New Year’s Las Vegas Residency: “These Are My Last Five Shows”
David Lee Roth has revealed that his recently announced Las Vegas residency will be his “last five shows” ever. In a new interview, the Van Halen singer says is retiring from performing, implying that health issues are forcing him to hang up his microphone. While speaking with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, DLR stated, “I am throwing in the shoes. I’m retiring. This is the first, and only, official announcement. … You’ve got the news. Share it with the world.” As opposed to a standard interview, DLR spoke for several minutes straight, telling a story about Van Halen’s origins, and letting the reporter know that he has been speaking with Alex Van Halen several times day. “Al and I have been talking, and I can’t speak for him just yet, but he knows what I am about to say … We speak to each ot...
Ministry Unleash New Album Moral Hygiene: Stream
Industrial legends Ministry are back with their 15th studio album, Moral Hygiene. The new LP comes three-and-a-half years after the band’s 2018 effort, AmeriKKKant, and once again features frontman Al Jourgensen delivering incendiary diatribes on the state of the world. Ministry offered up the first taste of the album a year-and-a-half ago, when they released the scorching single “Alert Level” at the beginning of the pandemic. The band followed that up this past summer with the single “Good Trouble,” a tribute to late politician and Civil Rights activist John Lewis. Elsewhere, Moral Hygiene includes a collaboration with former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra on the song “Sabotage Is Sex.” Jourgensen and Biafra previously teamed up in the side project Lard, with the Ministry frontman re...
Uniform Unveil “The Shadow of God’s Hand” Video Ahead of US Tour with Portrayal of Guilt
Uniform have unveiled the music video for “The Shadow of God’s Hand” ahead of their upcoming fall US tour with Portrayal of Guilt and Body Void. The track hails from Uniform’s excellent 2020 offering, Shame — one of our top heavy albums of the year. The video was directed by John Bradburn and evokes singer Michael Berdan’s intensely personal backstory regarding the song. “The central theme behind ‘The Shadow of God’s Hand’ are the inherent contradictions present in conventional Christianity,” Berdan explained via a press release. “I was brought up with this idea of ‘act right or you’re going to hell.’ I’ve listened to family members as they worried themselves to tears over the fate of a loved one’s soul.” Advertisement Related Video He continued: “To me, the concept of a punitive God ...
AC/DC Unleash Music Video for “Through the Mists of Time”: Watch
AC/DC have unveiled the music video for “Through the Mists of Time,” the latest single from their 2020 album, Power Up. The band has showcased some impressive videos to promote the Power Up singles, and the Najeeb Tarazi-directed clip for “Through the Mists of Time” is another visual feast. For this one, Tarazi and creative director Josh Cheuse used footage shot by Clemens Habicht of each of the five band members in five separate shoots around the world. Advertisement Related Video They then enlisted Mathematic, a Paris based visual effects studio, to combine all the elements so the band could “take the stage together to perform.” It gives the effect of AC/DC literally playing a concert through the mists of time. It’s almost been one year since the band released Power Up. As they have done...
Beyond the Boys’ Club: Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara
Beyond the Boys’ Club is a monthly column from journalist and radio host Anne Erickson, focusing on women in the heavy music genres, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. Erickson is also a music artist herself, recently releasing the song “Eternal Way” with Upon Wings. This month’s piece features an interview with Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara. Los Angeles rockers Dead Sara spent much of the lockdown period working on their Warner Records debut (and third album overall), the just-released Ain’t It Tragic. With recording sessions set to take place smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, the new album brought some challenges for the band, but it was nothing they couldn’t face head-on, as demonstrated in their triumphant new single, “H...
