Heavy Music News
Nirvana “Nevermind Baby” Wants His Naked Image Removed from 30th Anniversary Reissue
Thirty years ago today (September 24th), Nirvana changed the shape of rock to come with their magnum opus, Nevermind, which boasted one of the most iconic album covers of all time. The 1991 grunge landmark is getting an expansive reissue for the occasion, but Spencer Elden — who posed as the swimming naked baby that graces Nevermind‘s cover — wants to leave his genitalia out of the artwork. Last month, Elden sued Kurt Cobain’s estate, the surviving members of Nirvana, and other parties, accusing them of child exploitation. He claimed that his legal guardians didn’t formally consent to his image being used on the album cover. Legal experts have called the case “frivolous” and “offensive” to victims of child pornography. As part of the lawsuit, Elden requested that the image be rem...
Rebel Rock Festival Canceled Just Hours Before Gates Were Set to Open
Rebel Rock Festival, which was set to take place in Orlando, Florida, today (September 24th) through Sunday (September 26th), has been canceled just hours before it was set to begin. Unfortunately, severe weather leading up to the festival made the grounds unfit for fans. The fest was able to stage its “Taco Metal Party” last night, although headliner Volbeat was forced to drop out due to visa issues. However, there wasn’t enough time to make the rest of the grounds safe for the three-day main festival, which was set to feature Five Finger Death Punch, Machine Gun Kelly, Rise Against, Papa Roach, The Used, Philip Anselmo, Killswitch Engage, and many more acts. According to comments on the Rebel Rock Instagram page, many fans had just flown into Orlando and some were already in line for tod...
30 Years Ago, Nirvana Unleashed the Game-Changing Nevermind
Heavy Consequence contributor Greg Prato is the author of several rock books, including 2009’s Grunge Is Dead: The Oral History of Seattle Rock Music. Here, Prato looks back at Nirvana’s groundbreaking 1991 album Nevermind on its 30th anniversary, sharing quotes from his aforementioned book. Few albums have played a major role in changing the direction of rock music. Not only did Nirvana’s Nevermind do just that, it also started a cultural revolution. Upon the release of Nevermind on September 24th, 1991, it seemed like almost immediately, hair metal was pronounced dead, as radio and MTV suddenly embraced likeminded bands hailing from the Seattle area. Beyond the music, young people began adopting “grunge fashion,” while also embracing the more progressive and introspective thinking ...
Behemoth Frontman Nergal’s Me and That Man Share “Angel of Light” Featuring Myrkur: Stream
Behemoth frontman Nergal has unveiled the second single from his project Me and That Man’s upcoming album, New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, Vol. 2. The song “Angel of Light” features guest vocals from Myrkur (also known as singer Amalie Bruun). The new LP from Nergal’s dark-folk outfit arrives November 19th via Napalm Records. “Angel of Light” follows lead single “Got Your Tongue,” which was released last month. Regarding the new single, Nergal stated, “Behold the ‘Angel of Light’! This song is perhaps the most sinister and dark Americana in our repertoire. Whilst we often offer a little smile and wink with our music, this is pure Luciferian splendor delivered by our very own angel, Amalie from Myrkur. It’s all yours now folks! Enjoy!” Advertisement Bruun added, “I am excited to collaborate ...
Guns N’ Roses Release New Song “Hard Skool”: Stream
Guns N’ Roses have unleashed the new song “Hard Skool.” It’s the first official studio recording of a previously unreleased Chinese Democracy-era track. Earlier this week, we reported that the band had rehearsed “Hard Skool” during soundcheck for their show at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The song was rumored to be in the setlist but wasn’t played, possibly due to Axl Rose contracting food poisoning. “Hard Skool,” which previously had the working title of “Jackie Chan,” is the most old-school sounding GN’R track in years. Like a blast from the late ’80s, the song conjures the sleazy stages of the L.A. strip where the band cut its teeth. The song features some classic glam-metal guitar licks, and Axl sounds ageless. Advertisement Related Video The band’s other recent new single, “Absurd,” soun...
Iron Maiden Mascot Eddie Is Getting His Own Funko Pop! NFTs
Iron Maiden mascot Eddie is getting his own Funko Pop! NFTs. The digital assets will be available beginning September 30th. Eddie and Iron Maiden will be toymaker Funko’s inaugural music Digital Pop! NFT. The collection will include 44 different versions of Eddie as digital “Pops!” “We are huge Iron Maiden fans here at Funko and couldn’t be more excited to have our inaugural music Digital Pop! NFT be music icon Eddie,” Funko CEO Brian Mariotti said [via Billboard]. “Iron Maiden and Funko fans alike appreciate creative genius in music and pop culture. Now, they can celebrate both in digital form.” Advertisement Related Video The Eddie NFTs will be available in packs containing five digital “Pops!” and 15 digital “Pops!,” with prices starting at $9.99. A total of 24,000 packs will be availab...
Tom Morello Unveils New Song “Let’s Get the Party Started” featuring Bring Me the Horizon: Stream
Tom Morello is offering up the next taste of his upcoming album, The Atlas Underground Fire, with the scorching new single “Let’s Get the Party Started.” The song is a collaboration with UK rock act Bring Me the Horizon. “Let’s Get the Party Started,” not to be confused with pop singer Pink’s “Let’s Get This Party Started,” is the second single released from Morello’s forthcoming LP, which arrives on October 15th. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist previously unveiled a cover of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” featuring Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen. In a press release, Morello mentioned how he co-wrote the song with BMTH singer Oli Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish while all three were on separate continents. “Bring Me the Horizon is really the current standard bearer of hard rock/meta...
Ted Nugent Confronted at Rally Where He Called Black Lives Matter a “Terrorist Organization”: Watch
Ted Nugent was challenged by a Black man during a political rally in Centreville, Michigan, where the guitarist called Black Lives Matter a “terrorist organization.” Only around 100 people attended Nugent’s appearance on Friday (September 17th) as part of the Jack Coleman Presents Ted & Shemane Nugent Constitution Tour. Apparently, 600 attendees were expected. Nevertheless, a camo-clad Nugent took the stage to pontificate his right-wing views to the mostly white crowd. At one point, Nugent touched on Black Lives Matter, even goading the audience to challenge his opinions regarding the movement. Advertisement Related Video “Aren’t there any BLM punks who want to come up and harass me?” Nugent asked, as reported by local news station WWMT. At that point, a Black man named Jalen Brown app...
Mudvayne’s Chad Gray Tests Positive for COVID-19, Band Cancels Louder Than Life Appearance
Mudvayne singer Chad Gray and a portion of the band’s staff have tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the reunited metal act has pulled out of its performance at Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky, scheduled for this weekend. Louder Than Life announced the news via social media today (September 21st), and Mudvayne shared the festival’s post. Breaking Benjamin will take Mudvayne’s place on the bill. “After taking every precaution to follow CDC Covid protocols during rehearsals and recent performance, Chad Gray and a few staff members have unfortunately tested positive for Covid-19,” the band said in a statement. Advertisement Related Video “The safety of our organization, fans and festival partners must come first,” they added. “We are left no choice but to cancel our p...
Vended (Sons of Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Clown) Unleash Debut Single “Asylum”: Stream
Vended, the band that features the sons of Slipknot members Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan, have unleashed their debut single “Asylum.” With such an impressive metal pedigree, it’s no surprise that “Asylum” is a brutal track, featuring scalding vocals from 19-year-old singer Griffin Taylor (a dead ringer for his dad) and hard-hitting rhythmic patterns from drummer Simon Crahan. There’s a definite groove-metal and nu-metal influence, along with a streak of hardcore punk that should get the pits circling. While they’re not clad in masks, the band’s press photo does feature some theatrical makeup, giving the group a sinister appearance as Griffin appears obscured by blue paint. Vended’s lineup is rounded out by Cole Espeland (lead guitar), Connor Grodzicki (rhythm guitar), and Jer...
Metallica Play Surprise Show at Chicago’s Metro, First Time Since 1983: Video + Setlist
After playing a surprise intimate show in San Francisco last week, Metallica did the same last night (September 20th) in Chicago. The metal legends rocked the Windy City’s famed Metro club for the first time since 1983. The gig was announced just hours before showtime, with a special price of $19.83 to mark the last time Metallica played the 1,100-capacity venue. Within an hour, the show was completely sold out. “THAT was way too much fun last week as we finally played in front of real live fans for the first time in over two years in our hometown of San Francisco,” Metallica announced yesterday on their social media channels. “So why not do it again. This time we’re in Chicago and we’ll be hitting the stage at the storied Metro on Clark Street tonight… our first time back there since 1983...
Guns N’ Roses Rehearse New Song “Hard School”: Watch
Guns N’ Roses rehearsed a new song called “Hard School” during a soundcheck for their concert last Thursday (September 16th) at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Slash posted a TikTok of the instrumental runthrough, which was filmed by his girlfriend Meegan Hodges during soundcheck. The snippet features Slash laying down heavy riffs while drummer Frank Ferrerr works a steady open hi-hat beat. Bassist Duff McKagan and keyboardist Melissa Reese are also on stage, though frontman Axl Rose, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, and guitarist Richard Fortus are not present. Another clip, uploaded by a fan, contains some more vocals. Advertisement Related Video Guns N’ Roses previously rehearsed “Hard School” (also known as “Hardschool” or “Hard Skool”) ahead of their 2019 Hollywood Palladium show. Reportedly, the so...
