Heavy New Music
Metallica Release 53-Song Blacklist Covers Album: Stream
Metallica have released The Metallica Blacklist charity covers compilation. The album features 53 artists covering the 12 songs from “The Black Album.” All proceeds from the release benefit a charity of each artist’s choice and Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation. The band announced the compilation at the same time as the “Black Album” Super Deluxe Edition box set. Both celebrate the 30th anniversary of the seminal heavy metal album that launched Metallica to superstardom. Each week leading up to the September 10th digital release, the band shared new covers from the Blacklist. From Miley Cyrus’ rendition of “Nothing Else Matters” to Weezer taking on “Enter Sandman” to St. Vincent shredding through “Sad But True,” the covers have been a highly entertaining pastime for Metallica fans...
Thoughtcrimes (Ex-Dillinger Escape Plan) Unleash New Song “Misery’s a Muse”: Stream
Thoughtcrimes have unveiled the new song “Misery’s a Muse” via an animated music video. The band has also announced a reissue of 2019’s Tap Night EP, due out October 8th. The group features former Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Billy Rymer alongside singer Rick Pepa, guitarists Russ Savarese and Brian Sullivan, and bassist Cody Hosz. So far, the band only has the Tap Night EP to its name, but the upcoming reissue expands the tracklist with the addition of two previously unreleased songs — “Misery’s a Muse” being one of them. Advertisement Related Video It is hard to fathom how the song didn’t make the cut the first time around. It’s an unrelenting ripper with passionate screamed vocals from Pepa and a rapid pace from Rymer. Perhaps the song was unfinished at one time or shelved in post...
Iron Maiden Release New Album Senjutsu: Stream
Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden have released their highly anticipated 17th studio album, Senjutsu. The 80-plus minute opus was recorded in early 2019 at Guillaume Tell Studio in France during a break in the band’s “Legacy of the Beast Tour.” Later that year, longtime Maiden producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley strongly hinted that a new album could be on the horizon. Prior to officially announcing Senjutsu, Iron Maiden built the hype with cryptic ARG-style teasers before breaking the silence with an epic music video for the single “The Writing on the Wall” — their first new song in six years. The full album details were then unveiled, including a new “Samurai Eddie” for the cover art. Advertisement Related Video As singer Bruce Dickinson explained in a press release, the songs on Senjutsu are...
Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe (Mark Lanegan & Joe Cardamone) Announce Debut Album, Share “No Justice”: Stream
Mark Lanegan and The Icarus Line‘s Joe Cardamone have announced the eponymous debut album for their recording project Dark Mark vs. Skeleton Joe. They’ve also shared the song “No Justice” ahead of the LP’s October 15th release date. The song presents a pulsing electronic sound paired with Lanegan’s imitably deep vocal delivery. Minimal dancefloor beats and synthesizers percolate beneath the grunge veteran’s mix of spoken word and singing. Dark Mark lives up to his moniker during the chorus: “Ain’t no justice here, ain’t no justice there / Nobody sees, nobody cares.” According to the album’s press announcement, the project was born out of Lanegan and Cardamone’s mutual respect for one another as artists. They also needed a creative outlet where they could go outside their typical genres and...
Exodus Announce New Album, Unveil Single “The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)”: Stream
Exodus have announced their 11th studio album, Persona Non Grata, arriving November 19th. They also shared the video for the lead single “The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves).” True to its title, the single packs a wallop. Blazing fast riffs, snarled vocals, and gang-shout choruses make for a potent thrash metal attack. This is classic stuff from the pioneering Bay Area band. “After what seems like an eon, we now have the debut of our first single, ‘The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves),’” remarked guitarist Gary Holt via a press statement. “I’m so jacked up for this and the release of Persona Non Grata! Let’s get the bloodletting started!” Advertisement Related Video Persona Non Grata translates to “an unwelcome person,” and the album “touches on themes of moder...
Ministry Unleash Cover of The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy”: Stream
Ministry have unveiled a cover of The Stooges‘ “Search and Destroy” as the latest single from their upcoming album, Moral Hygiene. Frontman Al Jourgensen and company put an industrial stamp on the proto-punk classic. The track features a guest spot by Billy Idol guitarist Billy Morrison, and the decision to cover the tune was inspired by a performance at a benefit show in 2019. “We rehearsed it and the song was perfect but the show was running late and by the time we got onstage, I was in half time and singing the lyrics twice as slow,” explained Jourgensen in a press release. “Fortunately Billy and Dave Navarro are professionals and they realized what was going on and sort of covered for me but I felt horrible. Billy thought it actually sounded really good in half-time so he came to me wi...
Deafheaven Release New Album Infinite Granite: Stream
Deafheaven have released their new album, Infinite Granite, which is now available to stream. With their fifth studio album, Deafheaven have shifted away from the atmospheric black metal that influenced past material, embracing the shoegaze side of their sound. Most notably, vocalist George Clarke has adopted a clean-singing style. Despite some initial shock from longtime fans, the band dispelled skepticism with a string of strong singles. There’s no denying Clarke’s new singing style still fits well within Deafheaven’s heavy soundscapes, even if it took some time for listeners to adjust. Advertisement Related Video To achieve the new sound, the band enlisted producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen, best known as Beck’s longtime bassist and for his work with electronic-based pop artists such as M83...
Iron Maiden Unleash New Song “Stratego”: Stream
Iron Maiden have shared the new song “Stratego,” the second single from the forthcoming album Senjutsu, out September 3rd. “Stratego” is another epic slice of heavy metal from the masters of the craft. Bruce Dickinson’s voice soars above churning riffs and well-placed synths, with the band employing some different tones than the Southern-rock inflected lead single, “The Writing on the Wall”. It’s one of two songs on Senjutsu written by guitarist Janick Gers and founding bassist Steve Harris. It was recorded back in 2019 at Guillaume Tell studios in Paris and was produced by Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley & co-produced by Steve Harris, likely during the sessions mentioned by Shirley in late 2019. Advertisement Related Video Iron Maiden broke the silence with “The Writing on the Wall,” their fi...
Iron Maiden Unleash New Song “Stratego”: Stream
Iron Maiden have shared the new song “Stratego,” the second single from the forthcoming album Senjutsu, out September 3rd. “Stratego” is another epic slice of heavy metal from the masters of the craft. Bruce Dickinson’s voice soars above churning riffs and well-placed synths, with the band employing some different tones than the Southern-rock inflected lead single, “The Writing on the Wall”. It’s one of two songs on Senjutsu written by guitarist Janick Gers and founding bassist Steve Harris. It was recorded back in 2019 at Guillaume Tell studios in Paris and was produced by Kevin ‘Caveman’ Shirley & co-produced by Steve Harris, likely during the sessions mentioned by Shirley in late 2019. Advertisement Related Video Iron Maiden broke the silence with “The Writing on the Wall,” their fi...
Chris Stapleton Covers Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”: Stream
Chris Stapleton has covered Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” as part of The Metallica Blacklist charity covers compilation. The song is available now ahead of the collection’s September 10th release date. The “Black Album” ballad is prime material for Stapleton, who renders the song in a compelling Americana style. Stapleton’s soulful croon works perfectly atop the sparse country-rock instrumentation and the cover’s eight-minute arrangement. Once again, the upcoming Blacklist comp has served up a high-profile cover that lives up to its billing. We just heard Phoebe Bridgers’ “baroque” take on the same track, which followed the widely heard Miley Cyrus-Elton John version (also included on the Blacklist). Advertisement Related Video Meanwhile, Weezer took on “Enter Sandman,” and St. Vincen...
Trivium Announce New Album In the Court of the Dragon, Share “Feast of Fire”: Stream
Trivium have announced their new album, In the Court of the Dragon, which arrives October 8th. The band has also unveiled the video for sophomore single “Feast of Fire.” The new song is a technical gem, seamlessly blending elements of thrash and melodic metalcore as only Trivium can. Hooky vocals give way to heavy breakdowns and shred soloing, as the band cover all its extreme-metal bases. According to bassist Paolo Gregoletto, the song actually originated from the bridge of an existing composition. Apparently, the bridge section was just too good, so the band made an entirely separate song around it, which became “Feast of Fire.” Advertisement Related Video “There’s always that one song you aren’t expecting when you begin writing a new album,” Gregoletto said via a press release. “It coul...
Guns N’ Roses Release Studio Version of New Song “Absurd”: Stream
Guns N’ Roses have unveiled a studio version of their “new” song “Absurd,” which is a reworking of the rare Chinese Democracy-era tune “Silkworms” that was never officially released. Axl Rose and company first performed the song as “Absurd” a few nights ago at Fenway Park in Boston, and then again on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Now, the band has issued the song as an official single, available on all major digital outlets, and streaming in the YouTube player below. It marks the band’s first new single since 2008, save for a 2018 release of an alternate take of the song “Shadow of Your Love” (which had originally appeared as a B-side to “It’s So Easy” in 1987). It is unclear if the studio recording features the full current lineup of GN’R, including cla...
