Heavy Music News
Dave Grohl Writes Theme Song for 10-Year-Old Drummer Nandi Bushell: Watch
The year’s best rock and roll story just keeps getting better. Following an epic virtual drum duel, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has written a theme song for his worthy challenger, 10-year-old wunderkind Nandi Bushell. Bushell and Grohl first crossed paths when the former called for a drum battle with a video of her jamming to Foo Fighters’ “Everlong”. Grohl responded with a clip of him rocking Them Crooked Vultures’ “Dead End Friends”, which Bushell then matched beat for beat. The more seasoned rocker admitted defeat, but promised round two would be “something special.” Now, Grohl has shared a video of a new theme song for Bushell that he wrote “off the top of my head.” With his daughters (The Grohlettes) providing backing vocals, Grohl delivers a signature tune fit for a true rock su...
Staind and Godsmack Singers Team Up for US Drive-In Tour
Staind frontman Aaron Lewis and Godsmack singer Sully Erna are joining forces for a tour of drive-in venues across the United States. “The American Drive-In Tour”, as it is dubbed, will be one of the first rock excursions of its kind during the pandemic. The intimate outing will see Lewis and Erna performing side-by-side acoustically, playing their hits and cover songs, while also engaging in conversations. The tour is being produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, known for putting on some of the biggest U.S. rock festivals, including Sonic Temple, Louder Than Life, and Aftershock, among others. The month-long tour kicks off October 1st in Wichita, Kansas, and runs through a November 1st show in Del Mar, California. Certain venues will have concertgoers remain in their cars; others will set up ...
Marty Friedman and Members of Mastodon, Baroness, Lucifer Deliver Metal Cover of Fleetwood Mac Classic: Watch
The Two Minutes to Late Night YouTube channel continues to churn out impressive all-star quarantine covers each week as part of its “Bedroom Covers” series. The latest is a metal rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “You Make Loving Fun” featuring former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman and members of Mastodon, Baroness, Lucifer, and more. Friedman is one of metal’s premier guitarists, having appeared on Megadeth’s classic Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction albums, among others. For the Fleetwood Mac cover, he is joined by Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher on guitar; Baroness’ Nick Jost on bass; Lucifer’s Johanna Sadonis on lead vocals; Lucifer’s Nicke Anderson on drums; and Two Minutes to Late Night host Gwarsenio Hall (aka Jordan Olds) on guitar. Emily Panic and Mutoid Man’s Stephen Brodsky provi...
Donald Trump Thinks Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” Is the “Greatest Music Video of All Time”
Donald Trump loves him some Guns N’ Roses. In fact, not only does Trump think “November Rain” is the “greatest music video of all time,” he’s made his staffers watch the video to prove his point. As Newsweek reports, Trump’s love of GNR’s “November Rain” video was revealed by Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The former White House Press Secretary mentioned the tidbit in her new book, Speaking for Myself, recounting the time Trump made her and White House Communications Director Hope Hicks watch the video in the Oval Office: “The president told Hope and me in the Oval he wanted the classic Guns N’ Roses song ‘November Rain’ added to his rally playlist. He told us it was the ‘greatest music video of all time,’ and made us watch it to prove his point, even though neither of us had disagreed.” Eventual...
Lamb of God’s Willie Adler Talks Coffee, Bill & Ted, and Livestream Shows
Lamb of God’s Willie Adler, photo by Antonio Marino Jr. During a pandemic that’s drastically altered the day-to-day operations of the music industry, Lamb of God have forged ahead. The metal veterans released their new self-titled studio album in June, despite not being able to tour in support of the LP. And the decision brought much-needed joy to metal fans everywhere, as the album ranks among Lamb of God’s finest works. Upon completing the album, the band was then commissioned to write a song for Bill & Ted Face the Music. The film’s music supervisor handpicked the Lamb of God, who delivered “The Death of Us”, a crushing anthem to friendship that cemented 2020 as a veritably productive year artistically for the band. With one full-length and a major soundtrack appearance in the...
War on Women Announce New Album Wonderful Hell, Share Title Track: Stream
Baltimore outfit War on Women have announced their third full-length album, Wonderful Hell, will arrive on October 30th. The politically charged hardcore band have also shared the LP’s ferocious title track. War on Women make no mistake about their views on modern society or the state of politics in the United States. Their songs read like a manifesto, and “Wonderful Hell” is no different. Singer Shawna Potter wrote the song during a period when she felt especially “exhausted and overwhelmed by the Trump era.” “I can’t ignore what’s in front of me/ That fear is real, but not the enemy,” shouts Potter. In the lyric video, there is a notebook emblazoned with the hashtag “#VOTE”. It’s at the core message of the song. “I think it expresses something that a lot of people are feeling,” Potter sa...
Marilyn Manson Releases New Album WE ARE CHAOS: Stream
Marilyn Manson is back with his 11th studio album, WE ARE CHAOS, which is now available to stream in full below. The LP follows 2017’s Heaven Upside Down. The 10-song album was produced by Shooter Jennings, and finds Manson exploring his various influences from ’70s glam rock to ’80s new wave. The LP’s release was preceded by two singles — the title track and “DON’T CHASE THE DEAD”. While the album was completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Manson told us in our recent interview that he hopes the themes of WE ARE CHAOS help people cope during these difficult times: “A lot of people interpret some of the themes or particularly [the song] ‘WE ARE CHAOS’ as being related to what we’re going through right now. But I think the song was probably written a year and a half ago or so, lyrically....
Disturbed Cover Sting’s “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You”: Stream
Disturbed have had unquestionable success with cover songs in the past, and now the metal act is trying their hand at the classic Sting song “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You”. While Disturbed were already established as one of heavy music’s biggest bands, their 2015 cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” took them to a new stratosphere. An accompanying video for the song has racked up more than 600 million views on YouTube. On their Sting cover, Disturbed keep things fairly mellow for the first half of the track, with frontman David Draiman delivering clean vocals to start. At the 2:23 mark, Disturbed turn things up, with Draiman switching over to his powerful rasp and the band kicking in with heavy guitars and drums. “We have loved this song for a long time, and even ...
Amigo the Devil Premieres Bare-Bones Version of “Stronger Than Dead”: Stream
Amigo the Devil has been making waves as a unique troubadour who appeals to fans of both folk and metal. While his music is acoustic-based, his lyrics are decidedly macabre. In the midst of a new “living” album project titled Covers, Demos, Live Versions, B-Sides, Amigo teams up with Heavy Consequence to premiere a stripped-down version of his song “Stronger Than Dead”. As he continues work on a proper follow up to Everything Is Fine, which made our list of the Top Hard Rock + Metal Albums of 2018, Amigo is rolling out rarities and alternate song renditions to create the ever-growing collection Covers, Demos, Live Versions, B-Sides. “Stronger Than Dead”, which originally appeared on Everything Is Fine, is stripped down to its bare bones in this version, simply featuring Amigo and his acous...
Nothing Announce New Album The Great Dismal, Share Lead Single “Say Less”: Stream
Philadelphia shoegazers Nothing have announced their fourth album, The Great Dismal. In advance of its release, they’ve shared the lead single, “Say Less”. Building from a dancey post-punk drum beat, “Say Less” cascades into a noisy wall of feedback. The marriage of dance rhythms and guitar textures recalls My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless closer “Soon”, and director Jordan Hemingway’s ephemeral visual montage is an ideal backdrop for the song. Nothing have always favored a heavy sonic treatment, and judging by “Say Less”, The Great Dismal will be another huge, crankable record. It also touts some notable guest contributions from harpist Mary Lattimore, classical musician Shelley Weiss, and fellow Philly artist Alex G. “The Great Dismal refers to a swamp, a brilliant natural trap where survi...
Hatebreed Announce New Album Weight of the False Self, Unleash Title Track: Stream
Connecticut hardcore metallers Hatebreed are set to return with their eighth studio album, Weight of the False Self. The band has unveiled the title track in advance of the LP’s November 27th release. Weight of the False Self marks Hatebreed’s follow-up to 2016’s The Concrete Confessional. The upcoming set was produced by longtime Hatebreed collaborator Zeuss. “Sometimes, I think my reality consists of two irreducible elements, expressed by the age-old interior battle of the dualistic self,” Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta said of his approach to the new album. “The angel on one shoulder stands firm, providing reason, wisdom, and compassion while the devil dances angrily on the other, ranting with passion, spite, and dark desire.” He added, “I often wonder if a truly centered mind is attain...
Cold Waves Industrial Fest Goes Virtual with Meat Beat Manifesto, Members of Front 242, Ministry, NIN, and More
The annual Cold Waves industrial music festival in Chicago won’t be taking place in-person this year due to the pandemic. However, a virtual lineup, dubbed “The Lost Weekend”, has been set for September 18th-20th, featuring streaming performances and appearances by Meat Beat Manifesto and current and former members of Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Front 242, Revolting Cocks, and more. The fest was set to occur the same weekend at the Metro in Chicago, with headliners Front 242, Stabbing Westward and My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, but had to be postponed due to the pandemic. It was been rescheduled for September 26th-28th, 2021, with a lineup yet to be revealed. The virtual fest will broadcast for free via Twitch, kicking off Friday, September 18th with a stream of the first-ever Cold Wave...
