News



Corey Taylor Explains The Inspiration Behind His Next SLIPKNOT Mask! [Photos]

Slipknot’s masks have become an integral part of the band. They idea first started as a way to focus more on the music rather than the human beings playing it. The masks were mysterious and enticed fans about the members who were hiding behind the facade. As most of you know the members of Slipknot sometimes change their masks with each new album, sometimes slightly and sometimes all together. Corey Taylor’s mask has went through the most changes since the band formed. Corey’s mask in 1999 featured dreadlocks poking out of the top and an expressionless, ghostly face, the vocalist felt his first mask allowed the band’s music to be purer. In 2001 there was a slight edit to the mask making it more dark to relate better with the music on ‘Iowa’, In 2004 as the band released ‘Vol.3: (The Subliminal Verses)’  there was another change to Corey’s mask. The dreadlocks were gone, replaced by multicolored hair, but the stitched up, skinless face remained as Taylor battled personal demons behind the mask. He claims he was pretty much drunk the entire 3 years between the release of ‘Iowa’ and ‘Vol.3: (The Subliminal Verses)’. 4 years later the band released ‘All Hope Is Gone (2008)’ and Corey’s mask unveiled significant changes. It featured no hair at all, and had an almost entirely featureless face that appeared stitched to his skull. Eerily blank. I think it related to the scariest thing is to be plain or blank and expressionless. ‘.5 The Gray Chapter’ (2014) was immediately following the tragic loss of bassist Paul Gray, it was a dark time for the entire band as they grieved the loss of their brother. Taylor’s current and most human-like mask, it was an almost realistic two-piece human face but one that appears riddled with disease and disgust across its cheeks. In regards to the mask he stated ““People like me, Clown, Sid change our masks drastically,” “Because, for me, the mask is a representation of the person on the inside, and nobody stays the same over time.”  Continue reading

Indianapolis’ SACRED LEATHER Sign to Cruz Del Sur Music [Official Video]

Cruz Del Sur Music has inked a recording deal with Indianapolis’ SACRED LEATHER for the release of debut album ‘Ultimate Force’. With influences that are surely evident to any heavy metal purist, SACRED LEATHER’s music seems to emerge directly from the early 80s, mixing elegant and nostalgic hard rock/ proto metal with the most belligerent side of the traditional New Wave Of British Heavy Metal sound. The band 3 releases on cassette via Ritual Knife Records including a split with Kvlthammer. If you are a fan of NWOBHM then you will absolutely love this band. The recording of their debut album ‘Ultimate Force’ will start in early September for an expected February 2018 release. Continue reading

BLIND GUARDIAN Announce The Release Of Live Record [Official Live Video]

German power metal pioneers BLIND GUARDIAN have been the poster band and has been considered a seminal bands in their own heavy metal sub genre for the past 30 years. BLIND GUARDIAN recently announced that they are going to release a live album entitled, ‘Live Beyond The Spheres‘ after just two years of releasing their last studio album, ‘Beyond The Red Mirror’ in 2015. The live album will actually be a compilation of their best tracks into one show taken from 40 different concerts recorded during their European Tour in 2015, which surprisingly also happens to be the first BLIND GUARDIAN live album in almost 15 years. It promises to be an exhilarating indulgence in what could possibly turn out to be one of the best power metal live albums. The live album will contain 22 tracks, encompassing timeless hits like ‘The Bard’s Song (In The Forest), ‘Valhalla and Mirror Mirror, to rather rarely performed songs like ‘And Then There Was Silence’. The record will be purchasable as a 3CD-digipak as well as a 4LP-box-set. Continue reading

BLACKTOP MOJO Cover Blind Melon And It’s Amazing!!! [Video]

Seamlessly blending melody with adrenaline fueled, heavy rock and roll, Blacktop Mojo draws in everyone from old metal heads to people whose radio dials have never left top 40 stations. With soaring, gritty vocals and impeccably blended heavy guitar grooves set around a raucous southern stomp, Blacktop Mojo’s live shows are sure to leave fans’ screaming at the top of their lungs with metal horns in the air. Formed in the final weeks of 2012, Blacktop Mojo began cutting their teeth in the numerous country venues that Texas has to offer, but the guys never quite felt like they belonged. With each song they wrote, the vocals got less twangy and the sound from the amps became more gravelly and distorted until the guys had found their own unique blend of heavy southern rock. Through touring, the band has played with many national acts such as Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar, Aaron Lewis, Daryl “DMC’ McDaniels, Candlebox, Drowning Pool, Puddle Of Mudd, Smile Empty Soul, Audiotopsy, and Whiskey Myers. The band released their debut album ‘I Am’ in 2014. Their brand new album ‘Burn The Ships’ released March 10th and has quickly become the hottest up and coming band of the year. The band even played their new track “Why” on Good Morning Texas.  Continue reading

RAGE Release New Music Video From Forthcoming Album [Official Music Video]

German heavy weights RAGE have come a long way from their inception. They ushered in the early to mid-1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild, Blind Guardian and Grave Digger. That’s a long long time and it really reflects on their discography, which is a massive 23 album one taking in the new to be released album as well. For a band that has been doing music for more than 30 years, it is a commendable effort to put out a humongous discography of 23 odd records, that is just mental. Surviving some notable line up changes RAGE has been a constant dominance in not only the German Heavy/Power Metal scene but also all around the globe, playing a blend of heavy and power metal with a lot of classical influence RAGE has announced their forthcoming album to be released this summer. Can this summer get any more exciting!?

Continue reading

DEAD CROSS Feat. Dave Lombardo And Mike Patton Reveal North American Tour Dates

Robing in the likes of ex-Slayer drummer, Dave Lombardo, Mike Patton from Faith No More hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS form a potent force in 2015. They won’t release a new album up until August 4,via Ipecac Recordings, this year. In support of their self-titled debut album they will be touring entire North America and promise to put up excellent shows with a new breed of energy, the dates to which have been already announced.

Continue reading

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY Working On New Album Set For A Fall Release

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY was formed eleven years back in 2006, when Igor Cavalera surprise called Max after a decade, during which they both remained without each other’s reach for a painstakingly long decade, after they both left their brainchild, Sepultura. What followed was Max’s invitation to Igor to come and play for a Soulfly gig, after which Max proposed to begin a new project with his brother to which Igor accepted. Yes, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY is back in the studio and is undergoing the recording process of their fourth new studio album, reportedly in Phoenix, Arizona.

Continue reading

ARCH ENEMY Announce New Album Details and First Leg Of Tour Dates

Can 2017 get any more exciting with all these cool album releases ? Probably one of the biggest cards on the deck of melodic death metal ARCH ENEMY just released details about their new upcoming studio album, just three years after their 2014 album,’War Eternal’ which saw Alissa White-Gluz(ex-The Agonist and Kamelot) debut on vocals after ferocious front woman Angela Gossow’s departure from the band and choosing to take the driving wheel on managing the band. This is going to be Alissa’s second album with the band. They successfully nailed down the ‘War Eternal’ album cycle with a world tour finishing it off by releasing the ‘As The Stages Burn!’ DVD recorded in their epic headlining performance in Wacken Open Air, 2016. An epic performance embossed in time and memories with a fantastic DVD, fans welcomed it with huge appreciation. Continue reading

CELLAR DARLING feat. Ex-Eluveitie Members Release New Song Off Upcoming Album [Official Music Video]

CELLAR DARLING from Switzerland comprising of long term ex-Eluveitie members Anna Murphy, the hurdy gurdy player also singer, drummer Merlin Sutter and guitarist Ivo Henzi has put out their much anticipated first single, ‘Black Moon‘, off their debut album, ‘This Is The Sound‘, which is yet to be released on June 30th, 2017 out via Nuclear Blast Records. The three members were one of the very well known faces and long term members of the folk metal band Eluveitie from the same country. On May 5, 2016, Anna Murphy, Ivo Henzi and Merlin Sutter announced on social media platform, Facebook, that they had decided to quit the band and henceforth pursue their own projects and interests in music. The reason for quitting Eluveitie, was sparked due to “constant clash of interests” that built up among them lately, as stated by the band’s official facebook page post. As much as this came as a shocker for fans of the band, many were left wondering about Anna, Ivo and Merlin’s further musical endeavours. They did not wait for much long and after a month of settling things on the trio’s camp, they announced that their new band will be called as CELLAR DARLING. They soon released their first single titled, ‘Challenge’, followed by  the bonus track Fire, Wind & Earth, released in September 2016, to be quickly followed by their first ever concert performances as a group in winter of 2016 in Switzerland and The Netherlands.

Continue reading

RED FANG Release Hilarious “Cut It Short” Music Video

Stoner metal outfit RED FANG from Portland, Oregon has released another hilarious, comedic video titled, “Cut It Short“, thus adding one more to their jovial jukebox of funny music videos, but yet true their musical propensities. This video is taken from their latest album ‘Only Ghosts‘ released last fall among a lot of appreciation via Relapse Records. The album has ten amazing songs in it and has been produced by Ross Robinson (At The Drive-In, The Cure, Slipknot) and mixed by Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, Melvins). Nerdist dubbed Only Ghosts a “supremely excellent new album,” Revolver said ‘Flies’ might be one of the heaviest and catchiest things the band has ever put on record” and Outburn called the release “swaggering” and “heavy but catchy.”

Continue reading