Heavy Music News
Steel Panther Just Performed Three Concerts at Packed Venues in Florida: Watch
Steel Panther in St. Petersburg, Florida, via YouTube Despite a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases over the past several weeks, Steel Panther performed three headlining concerts to packed crowds in Florida over the past few days. According to video footage and photographs, most of the audience members were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. The hair-metal parody act was joined on the bill by Southern rockers Black Stone Cherry in Orlando on Thursday (December 17th); St. Petersburg on Friday (December 18th); and Fort Myers on Saturday (December 19th). As MetalSucks reports, the shows were packed with maskless people, and looked very much like pre-pandemic concerts. While the venues posted messages stating that they would require temperature checks, masks (when people were no...
Rammstein’s Till Lindemann Sells “Tilldo” Vibrators and “Golden Shower” Wine
Rammstein singer Till Lindemann has opened his own online merch shop, dubbed Doctor Dick, and let’s just say it has a wide variety of handy products. Among the items are a custom “Tilldo” vibrator and a “Golden Shower” wine. Anyone who has seen Rammstein in concert knows that erotica plays a big part in their stage show. What other bands feature a giant dildo that explodes white foam onto the audience? Or have actually had two members (including Till) arrested for simulating sex with each other onstage? Earlier this year, Lindemann’s eponymous side project even unveiled a full-on pornographic music video for the song “Platz Ein”. So, none of the things you see for sale at the singer’s new merch store should come as any shock, but you still may want to think twice about shopping at Doctor D...
Melvins Announce “New Year’s Evil” Livestream Event
The Melvins have announced “Melvins TV: Volume 1, New Year’s Evil”, a livestream event to ring in 2021. The virtual show will feature a five-song performance by the Melvins, interviews, extras, and an opening set by Void Manes. The stream goes live on December 31st at 3:00 p.m. ET / noon PT, and tickets cost $5 each. “‘Melvins TV, New Year’s Evil’ is as close to a live show as we can get during this hideous pandemic,” Buzz Osborne said in a press announcement. “We’ll be doing more of these so tune in and enjoy! Happy New Year!” The Melvins lineup for the stream will consist of the band’s core trio of Osborne, Dale Crover, and Steven McDonald (of Redd Kross fame). A commemorative limited-edition poster and T-shirt designed by Junko Mizuno and Mackie Osborne will be available exclusively to ...
Mastodon Tap Tool Producer David Bottrill for New Album
Mastodon are working with Tool producer David Bottrill on their upcoming eighth studio album. The band confirmed Bottrill’s involvement with a not-so-subtle Instagram post from the West End Sound studio in Atlanta. Fans were quick to point out Bottrill commanding the mixing board in the picture, with guitarist Bill Kelliher in the foreground. Bottrill since confirmed that he’s producing the record. The producer shared the original image on his official Instagram, with the caption, “@mastodonrocks. We have been keeping this one quiet for a while. But David has been having a fantastic time in Atlanta. :)” Bottrill is an alt-metal stalwart, producing such masterpieces as Tool’s 1996 opus Ænima, in addition to the live album Salival and 2001’s Lateralus. His other credits include work wi...
Older Gentleman Delivers Amazing Cover of Slipknot’s “Snuff”: Watch
YouTube singer-songwriter Frank Watkinson might seem like an unlikely Slipknot fan for his age. Yet, his thoughtful cover of the band’s 2008 track “Snuff” proves that Watkinson knows at least one of the band’s songs to its core. The already slow track is rendered even more emotionally direct through the simple combo of Watkinson’s powerful voice and an acoustic guitar. Sitting in his living room, he delivers a rendition worthy of an actual concert audience. The clip originates from August but made the rounds over the past couple days (via Metal Injection). While the original track is a ballad by Slipknot standards, Watkinson strips the song even further to its bare chords and sentiment, harnessing a simplicity that genuinely conveys the song’s intended message and atmosphere. Watkinson’s c...
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...
Creed Singer Scott Stapp to Play Frank Sinatra in Ronald Reagan Biopic
Scott Stapp (via “My Sacrifice” video), Frank Sinatra (via Nothing But the Best album cover) We’ve been inundated with some unforeseeable headlines in 2020, and here’s one more before the year ends: Creed singer Scott Stapp is playing Frank Sinatra in an upcoming biopic on Ronald Reagan. Yes, the rock vocalist is portraying the legendary crooner in the movie Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid as the 40th president of the United States. Stapp already filmed the role, telling Billboard, “Sinatra in performance mode was an exercise in restraint. He had this steely, stylish swagger and his sheer presence commanded a room. I was excited to join the cast and blown away by the on-set attention to detail, style, and overall production.” His performance as Sinatra comes during a scene in whi...
Slash on Eddie Van Halen: “Any Instrument He Had Chosen to Play Would Have Been Phenomenal”
There have been countless tributes to the great Eddie Van Halen since his passing on October 6th. One of the millions of fans mourning his death is fellow guitar legend Slash. Van Halen released their groundbreaking self-titled debut in 1978, and by the time Guns N’ Roses formed in 1985, one can easily argue that Van Halen were the biggest hard-rock band on the planet — until GN’R took that title with their own masterful debut, Appetite for Destruction. We recently caught up with Slash to discuss the new Guns N’ Roses pinball machines, as well as his new custom collection with Gibson Guitars. While speaking with the GN’R axeman, we asked him for his thoughts on Eddie Van Halen, specifically what it was about the Van Halen legend’s playing that made him such an iconic guitarist. Slash graci...
Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page Urges Streaming Companies to Pay Musicians Fairly
Jimmy Page is using his status as a rock icon and a knighted Order of the British Empire to urge streaming companies to fairly compensate musicians. The legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist penned an open letter on his Instagram account in response to a recent inquiry into streaming services by the UK’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. Among the items the committee is reviewing is the business model employed by Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google and other streaming services, especially when it comes to artist royalties. Page shared the following letter on his Instagram page: “Having recently viewed the Select Committee for Music Streaming on 24 November 2020 I feel compelled to write this letter. I fully appreciate the dilemma surrounding streaming royalties that should be ...
Pallbearer’s Joseph D. Rowland Launches Solo Project Hosianna Mantra, Unveils Debut Album: Stream
Joseph D. Rowland / Hosianna Mantra, photo by Elizabeth L. Cline Pallbearer bassist and songwriter Joseph D. Rowland has launched a synth-based solo project, Hosianna Mantra, with a seven-song album, Particle Mythology. Hosianna Mantra is a definite sonic departure from Rowland’s work in Pallbearer, though it touts the same exploratory sonic approach. The project showcases Rowland’s affinity for progressive electronic music and modern recording technology. Indeed, the musician shared a long list of the gear used on Particle Mythology (which can be seen below), and it’s a serious collection that undoubtedly takes some engineering savvy to operate. Taking a step toward the electro-acoustic pioneering of Daniel Lanois, Rowland has proven himself to be just as worthy a soundscapist as he is a ...
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...
Vicky Cornell: All Unreleased Soundgarden Music Will “See the Light of Day”
Vicky Cornell has stated that all of her late husband Chris Cornell’s unreleased music — including the Soundgarden songs he was working on before his death — will “see the light of day.” She made the confident declaration even though the rights to the unreleased Soundgarden tracks have been the subject of a legal dispute between Vicky and the surviving members of the band. While speaking about the surprise new Chris Cornell covers album, No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vicky was asked by USA Today if more of Chris’ music would be released posthumously. “Yes. All of Chris’ music, including Soundgarden, will see the light of day because there’s nothing in the world that lifts me most than sharing Chris’ gifts, having people speak his name, and having his music out there,” she responded. “He’s...
