Heavy Music News
Late Deftones Bassist Chi Cheng’s Spoken Word Album to Arrive in January
A limited-edition album featuring a 2001 spoken word performance by late Deftones bassist Chi Cheng will arrive in late January. The release, dubbed The Head Up Project, contains 24 tracks, all captured during the musician’s set at the Cafe Paris in the band’s hometown of Sacramento, California. Cheng sadly died in 2013 at the age of 42 after a 2008 car crash left him in a years-long coma. The spoken word album is being released via Qumran Records and Buckle Up For Chi, a nonprofit founded in the bassist’s honor that encourages seatbelt use. The Head Up Project is subtitled A Night of Poetry, Belly Dancing, Music, Insults, Alcohol and Other Forms of Flattery. Only 200 copies of the album were made available for pre-order on CD, and according to the purchase link, it’s already out of stock ...
Eddie Van Halen Cause of Death Revealed; Ashes Given to Son Wolfgang
More than two months after the tragic passing of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen, his official cause of death has been revealed. While his widely reported battle with cancer was an underlying cause, the immediate cause of death was a stroke. According to his death certificate, as obtained by TMZ, there were a number ailments that led to the Van Halen guitarist’s passing. The immediate cause is listed as cerebrovascular accident, which is the medical term for a stroke. Among the underlying causes were pneumonia, which he had for one month; myelodysplastic syndrome (a bone marrow disorder), which he was afflicted with for five months; and lung cancer, which he battled for three years. Additionally, in a section titled “Other Significant Conditions”, it was also revealed that Eddie had squamous...
Concert Review: Primus Pull Out Deep Cuts for Livestream Show
Setting the Stage: Ever since their inception, Primus have always been a “live band.” Sure, there’s no denying that such studio offerings as Frizzle Fry, Sailing the Seas of Cheese, and Pork Soda are ‘90s quirk-rock classics … but long-time fans can verify that the trio – singer/bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde, and drummer Tim Alexander – are best experienced in concert, as they most certainly take their songs to the next level onstage. So, with a proposed 2020 tour (that was to see the trio pay tribute to Rush’s 1977 prog classic A Farewell to Kings), scrapped due to COVID shutting down tours, it was announced that Primus’ lone show of the year – titled “Alive From Pachyderm Station” – would be streamed on December 11th, filmed at Claypool’s winery, Claypool Cellars, in Seba...
Alice Cooper Shares New Song “Our Love Will Change the World”: Stream
Alice Cooper has shared the new song “Our Love Will Change the World”, the second single from his upcoming album, Detroit Stories. Cooper called the track one of the “oddest songs” of his career for its juxtaposition of “happy” major chords and otherwise cynical lyrics. The shock rock legend explains that the song was written by a fellow Detroiter, thus fitting the Motor City theme of the new album. “I think ‘Our Love Will Change The World’ is one of the oddest songs I’ve ever done and it was one that came to us by somebody else, another Detroit writer,” Cooper explained in the press release. “And it was so strange, because it was happy and what it was saying was anything but happy — it was simply a great juxtaposition. And I got it immediately and said, ‘OK, this is going to be great.’ Th...
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...
Amigo the Devil Premieres Video for New Song “Another Man’s Grave”: Watch
Amigo the Devil recently announced his sophomore full length album, Born Against. Now, the folk-rock troubadour is teaming up with Consequence of Sound to premiere the video for the LP’s first single, “Another Man’s Grave”. With “Another Man’s Grave”, Amigo continues his foray into dark Americana. Despite his music’s acoustic foundation, the songs have also resonated with metal and hard rock audiences, as he’s shared the stages with several heavy acts over the past few years. “This is very much a coming to terms song,” Amigo says of the new single. “It’s the realization that the habits and routine we’ve been living, the behaviors, and outlook displayed aren’t true to the person that we know exists somewhere within. It’s about the purgatory-like time between accepting this and the moment we...
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...
Slash: New Guns N’ Roses Pinball Machines Are “Way Beyond My Expectations”
A couple of months ago, Guns N’ Roses announced a series of “Not in This Lifetime” pinball machines, modeled after the band’s mega-successful reunion tour of the same name. The arcade games were co-designed by Slash, who caught up with us to discuss all things pinball and his involvement in the creation of the machines. The “Not in This Lifetime” machines are manufactured by Jersey Jack Pinball, and are available in three editions — Standard, Limited, and Collectors — each with a different design on its body. The machines feature a 21-song soundtrack that closely mirrors the setlists that Guns N’ Roses played on their “Not in This Lifetime” tour, which saw the return of classic members Slash and Duff McKagan. As we learned from Slash while speaking with him about the machines, his love of ...
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...
