LIGHT THE TORCH Fires Up Headlining Tour In Louisville [Review & Photo Gallery]

Light The Torch

Guess who’s back, back again.  Howard’s back, tell a friend!  Fresh off a handful of dates opening for the almighty GWAR, lead singer Howard Jones, guitarist Francesco Artusato, bassist Ryan Wombacher, and drummer Mike “Scuzz” Sciulara, collectively now known as Light the Torch, headed out on a headlining run to finish out July in support of their latest release, Revival. Continue reading

Grunge Legends ALICE IN CHAINS Release New Single, “Never Fade”!

With two weeks to go before the arrival of the new ALICE IN CHAINS album ‘Rainier Fog(BMG), anticipation is ramping up with yesterday’s release of new single “Never Fade“.
 
Never Fade” is the third ‘Rainier Fog song release following “So Far Under” and “The One You Know” and all three tracks are available as instant downloads by clicking here to pre-order the album ahead of its August 24th release date.

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Jason “J-Sin” Luttrell Vocalist Of PRIMER 55 Has Passed Away!

 

Jason “J-Sin” Luttrell was the vocalist of Primer 55, the celebrated nu metal based in Louisville, Kentucky. Jason or “J-Sin” was the vocalist of the band from 1997–2003 and then came back for a short period of time in 2007. However, after only three weeks of touring J-Sin was forced to exit the band due to poor performances and costly antics caused by continued drug and alcohol addictions that would eventually land him in rehab. As of August 10th, Jason was in the ICU at Baptist Memorial Hospital Desoto in Southhaven, Mississippi. At around 10:00 AM Central time a relative of the singer stated “As most of you know Jason has been sick for a long time. He is currently in the ICU at Baptist Desoto and is not expected to make it through the day. They are making him as comfortable as possible at the moment.” As of 8:31 PM Central time J-Sin has passed away, our deepest condolences are with his family, friends and band mates past and present.  Continue reading

Ep. 167 Chuck Billy (Testament) – Talk Toomey: The Metal Nexus Podcast

Today is a triple threat of interviews. First up is Chuck Billy of Testament. Chuck is on to talk about his latest vape products under “The Chief” name (Click here to learn more about vapes). Chuck also talks about Practice What You Preach, Slayer tour, and the future of marijuana in America. Marijuana has always been a popular drug, but with it now being used for medical purposes, its popularity has seemed to increase drastically with millions of people using it on a daily basis. Some choose to smoke it as is whereas others like to ingest it in CBD form or perhaps using a flyte pen. It can be used to treat various illnesses and disorders from anxiety and depression to epilepsy and chronic pain, in a variety of methods and forms. Some people enjoy marijuana or marijuana-based products as oils, edibles, or through vape pens and other vaporizers. You can learn more about vapes by visiting IndeJuice. Whatever the use or method, dozens of musicians, including Chuck Billy, Snoop Dogg, and Wiz Khalifa, are now campaigning for it to be legalized throughout America for all to enjoy. If you’re already lucky enough to live in an area where it’s legal and want to try your hand at growing your own, here are the best indoor tents for growing marijuana. You can grow it quite comfortably wherever you like, without the need for a garden.

Next up is Hanno Klaenhardt of Mantar. Mantar is a two-piece band from Germany and have a great sophomore album entitled “The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze” due August 24th. Hanno and I talk about his living in America for awhile, European festivals and the foreign exchange student I hung out with in high school.

And finally, Richie Cavalera of Incite calls in to talk about the upcoming “Burn N Shred” tour. Richie also discusses their new album that is due in January, being a Cavalera and recording with Steve Evetts.

Robb Rivera of nonpoint gives us his weekly Pick From The Kit and a nonpoint update.

SUFFOCATION To Bid Adieu Frank Mullen With A North American Farewell Tour W/ CATTLE DECAPITATION & More

Well here we are finally and I say this reluctantly, who would have thought we’d live to see this? Back in March, Frank Mullen the legendary original vocalist of NY death metal pioneers, SUFFOCATION announced that he would be hanging up his boots as their full time member. In a video posted on his Facebook page then, he alongside with Victoria formerly of WWE fame can be seen talking and that’s when Frank says he will be seeking for “new beginnings” and pursue full time acting and a few other projects in the future. And now the time has come for Frank Mullen to actually say goodbye to the legions of death metal and SUFFOCATION fans all over the globe. But.. but, before he calls it a day, he and his band will be trekking all across North America for a final farewell tour, aptly named “Death Chopping North America – Farewell Frank Tour 2018” with sick support coming in from misanthropic gore grinders  CATTLE DECAPITATION, Brazilian death metal legends KRISIUN, and Swedish tech-death sensations SOREPTION. All of this crazy stuff happening this upcoming October / November.

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Aftershock 2018 Spotlight: PLAGUE VENDOR [Video Stream]

*This is part of our “Aftershock Festival 2018 Spotlight” where we branch out and focus on some of the up-and-coming bands that fans can see at this year’s Aftershock Festival on October 13th & 14th.  This week, we’re checking out PLAGUE VENDOR.*

One of my personal philosophies is that if your music is difficult to categorize, you must be doing something right. Such is definitely the case with Whitier, California quartet Plague Vendor who fittingly classify themselves as “voodoo punk” to describe their style of dark and abrasive, yet often dance-able form of punk rock. At times emerging through are hints of Dead Kennedys, Nirvana, and Raw Power-era The Stooges, but never to an overwhelming degree that overshadows the band’s own uniqueness. Lead singer Brandon Blaine is like a pissed off Jack White with an aggressive and dissonant vocal attack that never fails to add a striking element of chaos or danger to every song. Plague Vendor’s combination of raw simplicity, aggression, and catchiness will have you tapping your foot, nodding your head, and humming along while at the same time feeling a horror movie-like tension pulling you into its sonic madness. This is music that refuses to be confined by a label and thankfully so. Continue reading

Review: CITY OF INDUSTRY – ‘American Habits Are Hard To Break’ [Album Stream]

City Of Industry is a hardcore punk band that was formed in 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The band is a three piece comprised of Jack Thompson on bass, Mauro Contreras on drums and rounding out the band John Suede on guitar and vocals. Though City Of Industry was just formed last year they have wasted no time getting material out to fans. In December of last year they released their debut EP and the band has now released their follow up titled ‘American Habits Are Hard To Break’ on July 27, 2018. ‘American Habits Are Hard To Break’ was recorded and mixed by Jon Lervold at Big Name Studios and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. The band notes Coke Bust, Converge, Ceremony, Iron Lung, and Despise You as some of their biggest influences.  Though you can easily hear the bands hardcore and punk styles meld together within their music you can also hear touches of the crust punk genre throughout their songs as well.

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DEVILDRIVER Take Their Outlaw Country Tribute On The Road [US Tour dates]

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American metal band Devildriver have announced a coming tour to support their outlaw country inspired album Outlaws ‘Til The End Vol I. The tour will begin October 23 in Phoenix, AZ and will end in San Diego on November 11. Supporting them on this tour are Jinjer and Raven Black. Frontman Dez Farfara explains, “It’ll be well over a year since we last headlined a full tour when DEVILDRIVER returns in the fall… and on a number one metal charting record! We are bringing some special guests with us – our friends Jinjer will be joining from the Ukraine, and Raven Black as well. We have decided to do clubs in order to make sure this is a very close up and personal special event for everyone attending! Get your tickets now, this tour is going to sell out!” Continue reading

State Of The Art: West Virginia’s SCARLET REVOLT

Photo Credit: Rogue Crayon

*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state. This month’s state is West Virginia.*

A gritty blend of classic rock and stoner/doom metal is what’s on the menu from female-fronted quartet, Scarlet Revolt. Lead singer Eve Marcum Atkinson’s striking vocals will seductively draw you into the murky, moody sonic depths on tracks such as “Bleed” which presents an imaginative interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” The fuzzily-toned, Orange-amplified guitar riffs ooze and chug along with purpose under minimal production polish that allows for a pleasingly unaltered, natural sound. The song and music video come from the band’s 2017 CD release, ‘Cold Town’ via Von Artists. Continue reading

Exclusive Premiere: HEARTSICK – “Snake Man” [Official Video]

Today Metal Nexus drops the exclusive music video premiere of Heartsick’s “Snake Man.” Hitting the streets, we see imagery of a mixed martial arts fight, badass lowered pickup trucks, drunken house party debauchery, and a protest rally while the Michigan quartet performs in a small, darkly-lit venue. The track is powerfully groove-laden and drenched in attitude with lead vocalist Alfonso Civile especially knocking it completely out of the park during the chorus. The overall look and feel is pleasingly DIY which adds to the track’s street-level grittiness; and the heavily-effected, tripped-out guitar solo is the perfect cherry on top to solidify its immediate replay-ability factor. Continue reading