Heavy Music News
Dropkick Murphys Unveil New Song “Queen of Suffolk County”: Stream
Dropkick Murphys have offered another taste of their new album, Turn Up That Dial, ahead of its April 30th release. The punk-rock veterans have unveiled the new song “Queen of Suffolk County”. The new track follows the single “Middle Finger”, which arrived with the album’s announcement in late February. “Queen of Suffolk County” opens with the voice of a newscaster announcing the arrest of a Suffolk County woman who was arrested for a stabbing outside a bar. The song then proceeds to tell the story of the knife-wielding femme fatale, with lines like, “You best stay out of her way/ She don’t joke, and she don’t play.” The Massachusetts-based Celtic punkers recently performed a St. Patrick’s Day livestream that garnered more than 1 million views, landing at No. 1 on Pollstar’s livestream cha...
Corey Taylor, Lzzy Hale, Scott Ian, and Dave Lombardo Team Up for Title Song to New Movie Thunder Force: Stream
Corey Taylor, photo by Antonio Marino Jr. / Lzzy Hale, photo by Amy Harris / Scott Ian, photo by Heather Kaplan / Dave Lombardo, via Twitter The title song for the upcoming Melissa McCarthy superhero comedy Thunder Force is a star-studded heavy metal collaboration. The track “Thunder Force” features vocals from Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, with musical backing from Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, as well as cellist Tina Guo. We previously reported on Ian and Lombardo recording music for the upcoming film, which launches April 9th on Netflix. The thrash legends posted on Instagram from the recording studio with the film’s composer, Fil Eisler. It turns out Eisler tapped an equally notable duo to handle the singing on the title track. Ta...
Soundgarden Accuse Vicky Cornell of Locking Band Out of Social Media Accounts, Website
The legal drama between Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell has grown thicker. The grunge legends have now filed legal papers demanding Cornell relinquish the band’s social media passwords. It’s only the latest incident in an ongoing feud between Soundgarden and the widow of late singer Chris Cornell. The band recently accused Vicky of hijacking its legacy and social profiles following her latest lawsuit against Soundgarden over a buyout offer. On March 25th, surviving Soundgarden members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd, and their business manager Rit Venerus filed papers in Washington state U.S. District Court accusing Vicky Cornell of locking them out of their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, Snapchat, Tumblr, Top Spin and Pinterest accounts, as well as Soundgarden’s offici...
Rob Zombie, Korn, Staind, and More Announced for July 2021 US Rock Festivals
Organizers of two major US rock festivals are counting on a relative return to normal this summer, officially announcing the lineups for Wisconsin’s Rock Fest and Michigan’s Upheaval Festival today (March 31st). Rob Zombie, Korn, Staind, and Chevelle are among the bands set to play both fests, while the bigger Rock Fest will also feature Limp Bizkit, Snoop Dogg, Danzig, and more — provided that the events are able to go off as scheduled. Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin is a long-running annual event, while Upheaval in Grand Rapids, Michigan was supposed to stage its inaugural festival last year. Both were called off in 2020 due to the pandemic, so the 2021 lineups are fairly similar to the ones that were set for last year. The big difference is that Disturbed has dropped off both events and...
Ex-Misfits Singer Michale Graves Is a Potential Witness in a Capitol Insurrection Case After Joining the Proud Boys
Former Misfits singer Michale Graves is a potential witness in a possible Capitol insurrection trial after joining the Proud Boys last year. According to Reuters, Graves (real name Michael Emanuel) was in Washington, D.C. on January 6th — the day of the riot — to play a private concert organized by a group called “Latinos for Trump” on the request of a fellow Proud Boys member. Graves told Reuters that he didn’t think the Proud Boys were capable of participating in the attack that left five people dead, including a D.C. police officer. “These guys have a hard time getting an order together for McDonalds,” Graves said of the Proud Boys in the new interview. One of the defendants charged with the insurrection conspiracy and prominent Proud Boy member Ethan “Rufio” Nordean said in a court fil...
Staind Announce New Live Album and Livestream Performance of Break the Cycle in Full
It’s been a while, literally, since Staind put out any music, but Aaron Lewis and company have just announced a new live album documenting their 2019 comeback shows. Live: It’s Been Awhile will arrive on May 7th, and will be sandwiched by a pair of livestream events, including a full performance of the band’s multiplatinum 2001 album, Break the Cycle. The live album was captured at Staind’s pair of reunion shows at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, in October 2019. The concerts marked the group’s first headlining gigs following a five-year hiatus, and featured such hits as “For You”, “So Far Away”, “It’s Been Awhile”, and “Outside”. Their first show back was a set at the Louder Than Life festival a week earlier. Cameras were there to capture the show, and as part of...
Power Trip Members and Obituary Honor Riley Gale with “Executioner’s Tax” Performance: Watch
Obituary have paid tribute to late Power Trip singer Riley Gale, who tragically passed away last summer. The death metal pioneers invited members of Power Trip onto a recent livestream for a cover of the latter’s staple song, “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)”. Power Trip guitarists Blake Ibanez and Nick Stewart made a surprise guest appearance for the cover, which was dedicated to Gale. It’s likely the first public performance by members of Power Trip since Gale’s death. Obituary did the rollicking track justice, and the unmistakeable riffage of Ibanez and Stewart sounded nothing short of triumphant given all that’s happened. We previously reported on the first interview with the members of Power Trip since their August 25th statement confirming the death of their singer. While speaki...
Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi on “Rock Is Dead” Theory: “I Don’t Think Rock Is Going to Die”
For years, Gene Simmons of KISS has voiced his opinion — on several different occasions — that “rock is dead.” In a feature in Esquire magazine in 2014, the blood-spitting bassist-singer provided such quotes as “Rock is finally dead” and “The death of rock was not a natural death. Rock did not die of old age. It was murdered.” However, fellow rock legend Tony Iommi has a different opinion on the state of rock music. At the beginning of this year, Simmons reiterated his “rock is dead” claim in an interview with Gulf News, and then fully explained his theory in an interview with Heavy Consequence. He told us, among other reasons, “That kid living in his mom’s basement, decided one day that he didn’t want to pay for music. He wanted to download and file share. And that’s what killed the chanc...
System of a Down’s Daron Malakian Supports “Gun” Cover of “B.Y.O.B.” and Guns, In General
System of a Down guitarist Daron Malakian had thus far been relatively quiet throughout the recent political headlines surrounding his bandmates — specifically the polar opposite beliefs between left-leaning singer Serj Tankian and right-wing drummer John Dolmayan. However, Malakian recently offered his support for Second Amendment gun rights by reposting a video of a drum cover of SOAD’s “B.Y.O.B.” using firearms as percussion. The video was created by “GunDrummer”, a guy who actually shoots guns to make beats, as he plays along to the song with pistols, rifles, and machine guns. The footage (below) is literally triggering, so watch with discretion. Malakian, who released the 2019 single “Guns Are Loaded” with his band Scars on Broadway, used the occasion to announce his pro-gun stance wi...
Heavy Culture: Moonspell’s Fernando Ribeiro Talks Hermitage, Pandemic, Growing Up in Portugal, and More
Heavy Culture is a monthly column from journalist Liz Ramanand, focusing on artists of different cultural backgrounds in heavy music as they offer their perspectives on race, society, and more as it intersects with and affects their music. The latest installment of this column features an interview with Moonspell frontman Fernando Ribeiro. The year 2020 made most of us embrace our hermit-like ways. Little did Moonspell singer Fernando Ribeiro know that the word Hermitage that he came across in 2017 would be an apt title for the band’s brand new album. The new release Hermitage is the veteran Portuguese gothic metal band’s 12th full-length studio album. The LP focuses on topics such as solitude and isolation, but also on community. Heavy Consequence caught up with Ribeiro via Skype in mid-M...
X Japan’s Yoshiki Announces Annual $100,000 Mental Health Grant to MusiCares
Yoshiki, the leader of heavy metal legends X Japan, has announced that he will provide an annual $100,000 grant to MusiCares for mental health initiatives. The influential multi-instrumentalist has been one of rock’s most charitably musicians, even earning a Medal of Honor by the Government of Japan earlier this month. According to a press release, the annual grant will “help music creators and industry professionals affected by depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, or other mental health concerns,” all issues that Yoshiki has faced within his band and his own life. “If I didn’t have music and my fans’ support, I could have easily been the one to take my own life like the people who were close to me, including my father and my band member,” said Yoshiki. “I’d like to not only contribute ...
R.I.P. Rob Vitale, Singer of New York Hardcore Band Black Train Jack Dies From COVID-19
Rob Vitale, the lead singer of New York hardcore band Black Train Jack has tragically died from COVID-19 complications. His death was confirmed by a number of figures in the NYHC scene, including Sick of It All. “Our hearts are heavy tonight,” wrote Sick of It All on Facebook on Sunday night. “We lost our friend to COVID. Thinking of all the shows, the tours all the good times and laughs we shared. Rest In Peace Rob.” Sick of It All drummer Armand Majidi added, “Tonight we honor a truly good man who departed this world far too early. Rest easy Rob. It was a pleasure touring with you and sharing many fond moments. @bobeatsbtj you were loved by many and will be missed dearly.” Black Train Jack got their start in the early ’90s and landed a record deal with Roadrunner Records. They released t...
