Thrash Metal
Testament’s Alex Skolnick Shares Video for New Song “Florida Man Blues” feat. Brian Posehn: Stream
Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick has shared the video for his new song with the Alex Skolnick Trio, “Florida Man Blues.” The clip features cameos by heavy metal comedians Brian Posehn and Dave Hill. Skolnick wrote and recorded the track with his band back in 2019. After sitting on the song for nearly two years, the guitarist finally shared the blues-based romp, which is clearly inspired by the “Florida Man” meme headlines coming out of the Sunshine State. A comedic song needed a comedic clip, so Skolnick tapped Adam Dubin for “Florida Man Blues.” Dubin co-directed the Beastie Boys’ legendary “Fight for Your Right” video, and Skolnick even smashes a TV with a sledgehammer in homage to Adam Yauch. Posehn and Hill make humorous appearances, the latter as an alligator-carrying booze enthusias...
Slayer’s 10 Best Songs
Few bands epitomize heavy metal better than Slayer. From their Satanic speed metal beginnings to the their legendary thrash masterpieces recorded with producer Rick Rubin, Slayer would come to define metal in iconography, aesthetics, and sound. For many, Slayer have proven to be a gateway band to extreme metal. More brutal, aggressive, and blasphemous than Metallica, Megadeth, or Anthrax, Slayer represent the left hand path. Adorning their albums with Satanic and darkly Biblical artwork by Larry W. Carroll, the band would influence the burgeoning black metal scene in the ’80s and ’90s, as well as achieving commercial success as part of the aforementioned Big Four of thrash metal. Slayer’s core lineup of guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, singer-bassist Tom Araya, and drummer Dave Lom...
David Ellefson: Megadeth “Kicked” Me to the “Side of the Road”
David Ellefson has continued to open more about his removal from Megadeth. In a new interview with “The Jeremy White Podcast,” the ousted bassist expressed some resent toward the Megadeth camp for the lack of empathy and support they provided in the aftermath of Ellefson’s compromising online sexual encounter. After explaining that he felt it best to address the scandal head-on, Ellefson explained that Megadeth took a different approach, instead issuing a statement that further incited backlash against the bassist. Particularly the statement’s wording: “There are clearly aspects of David’s private life that he has kept to himself.” Advertisement Related Video Ellefson said that the reactionary statement was “based on fear” on the part of Megadeth. “It wasn’t based on reality,” he continued...
R.I.P. Malcolm Dome, Veteran Music Journalist Who Coined the Term “Thrash Metal” Dies at 66
Malcolm Dome, a longtime music journalist who primarily covered metal and hard rock, has died at the age of 66. The veteran writer is credited with coining the term “thrash metal” in an article about Anthrax in 1984. The UK journalist got his start in the 1970s, writing for Record Mirror and Metal Fury magazines, before landing with Kerrang! upon its launch in 1981. His passing was reported by the website Louder, which encompasses the magazines Prog, Classic Rock, and Metal Hammer, all of which Dome contributed to during his lengthy journalism career. In 1981, Dome put out a book called Encyclopedia Metallica, which may have inspired the legendary metal band’s name. More directly, he referred to Anthrax’s music as “thrash metal” while writing about the band’s song “Metal Thrashing Mad” in ...
Don’t Worry, Metallica Are Here to Teach You How to Be a Band
Who better to teach a class on how to be a band than one that’s seen it all? Enter Metallica! The metal legends will be the first band to use the virtual MasterClass teaching platform and will “unpack 40 years of success and share principles of communication, collaboration, creativity, perseverance, and longevity.” The course is now available via MasterClass’ subscription service. According to the description, Metallica walk viewers through the interpersonal dynamics of being in a longstanding band, as well as analyze some of their greatest songs such as “Enter Sandman” and “Master of Puppets.” Advertisement Related Video In addition to learning techniques related to songwriting and arrangement, the masterclass features social topics, such as the audience-performer relationship and ad...
David Ellefson on Megadeth Ousting: I’m “Disappointed” but “Not Bitter”
David Ellefson has directly addressed his firing from Megadeth in a new interview, stating that he is “disappointed” but “not bitter.” Earlier this week, we reported on the bassist giving his first post-Megadeth interview, though he was not directly asked about his firing from Megadeth in that conversation. Now, in a separate interview, Ellefson has discussed his exit from Megadeth. Speaking with SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk, Ellefson opened up about the sexually compromising incident with a young woman that led to his ousting, as well as his relationship with Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. Advertisement Related Video For context, Ellefson was initially accused of grooming an underage fan for an online sexual encounter. Videos of the encounter were leaked online by a separate party, leading to...
David Ellefson Gives First Post-Megadeth Interview: “I’m Perfectly Content”
David Ellefson has given his first interview since being ousted from Megadeth earlier this year. Ellefson was fired from the thrash band after an embarrassing sexually compromising online encounter with a young woman went public, but seemed unfazed in the new interview. The bassist is currently promoting his new band, The Lucid, and opened up about his career after Megadeth. “It’s fun to create for creation’s sake and not because it has to be motivated from anything else,” Ellefson told Aftershocks TV (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “So I guess I’m kind of glad to just be right where I’m at. To be honest, I’m perfectly content and happy where I am right now. I’m not gonna lie — it’s perfectly fine. So I’m all good.” Advertisement Related Video Ellefson doesn’t get into specifics regardin...
Kerry King Says Post-Slayer Project Will Be “F**king Good”
Kerry King has again teased his post-Slayer project, saying that it will be “f**king good” and that he would have already toured with his new mystery group had it not been for the pandemic. After recently stating that he felt Slayer “quit to too early” when they called it a day after their final 2019 show, the guitarist is now looking ahead to the future. King previously hinted that he had two records’ worth of material for his post-Slayer band, but has remained tight-lipped about the specifics. “I’m dragging my feet on letting the world know what I’m doing because there’s no rush,” King told Metal Hammer in a new interview. “I have a tour that I’m considering doing, but I’m not going to announce a band, I’m not going to announce a record, I’m not going to announce anything. But you will s...
James Hetfield Recalls When Metallica Recruited Another Singer as Their Frontman
As the frontman of Metallica, James Hetfield is one of heavy metal’s most recognizable singers. However, had the iconic band gotten its wish, he may have been better known solely as the group’s rhythm guitarist. Hetfield hosts a new segment called “Road Dog Brothers” on the Mandatory Metallica channel on SiriusXM, and in it he recalled a time when the band offered the lead vocalist job to Armored Saint’s John Bush. Hetfield began, “A lot of [our] early memories were celebrated with a band called Armored Saint, who were a fellow L.A. band back in the early ’80s.” He added, “When we were getting started, obviously John Bush was a singer we got to know really well, and really, really tried to get him into the band as a singer. It didn’t work out. He was dedicated and very in love with what he...
Suicidal Tendencies’ Instagram Account Was Taken Down Due to Band Name
Suicidal Tendencies‘ Instagram account mysteriously disappeared three weeks ago, and it turns out that the band’s name was likely flagged by the social media platform’s content filter. The iconic crossover thrash act returned to Instagram yesterday (October 6th) after apparently recovering its account and “@suicidaltendencies” handle. As the band remarked in a new post, it’s not the first time the name has been censored. The account blackout couldn’t have happened at a more inopportune time for Suicidal Tendencies. The group made a major festival appearance at Louder Than Life and played the SoCal Hoedown Festival during that span — no doubt prime occasions for social media content. Advertisement Related Video The band’s new post read: “So as a lot of you already noticed, our Instagram acc...
Metallica Admit They “Weren’t Equipped” to Deal with Jason Newsted’s Exit: We Gave Him “No Creative Voice”
Metallica have admitted they “weren’t equipped” to deal with Jason Newsted upon his exit from the band in 2001. The band opened up about Newsted’s departure in an extensive new interview, reflecting on a decadent 40-year career thus far. This past August marked the 30th anniversary of the “Black Album,” which featured Newsted on bass. Despite his unceremonious exit from Metallica, he played a vital role in the band’s legacy and has returned to the spotlight as fans celebrate the classic LP. At the time of his exit, Newsted was frustrated over his lack of creative input in Metallica, and had sought out another musical outlet in his side project Echobrain. Advertisement Related Video When asked about Newsted leaving Metallica, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich both offered reflective answers, i...
Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel Postpone “Bay Strikes Back Tour” until 2022
Less than one week before it was set to kick off, the “Bay Strikes Back Tour” featuring Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel has been pushed to 2022. All three legendary thrash bands cited COVID-19 safety concerns as the reason for the postponement. The three veteran metal acts know firsthand about the dangers of COVID-19, as they were among the first bands to be affected by the virus as they wrapped up the European leg of the trek in March 2020. Multiple members of touring package were infected, including Testament singer Chuck Billy, Exodus guitarist Gary Holt, and Death Angel drummer Will Carroll, who recovered from a serious battle against COVID after being put in a coma and on a respirator. The new dates will kick off April 9th in San Luis Obispo, California, and run through ...
