Metal and Hardcore

Spyder on Psytrance, Performing at Burning Man, His Multiple DJ Identities, and Comparing EDM to Heavy Metal

While most DJs are content with having only one slick-sound moniker, Matthew Hinman has almost a half-dozen nom de guerres at his disposal. Depending on the particular gig he's working, the 39-year-old could be performing as Spyder, Franck Matthews, Cosmic Sea, or any of the other idenities he's dev ... More >>

Southern Lord Tour @ Chasers

Is Dubstep the New Nü-Metal?

Love it or hate it, it's looking inevitable: dubstep isn't going anywhere for awhile, and a lot of ambitious metalheads are pairing their riffs up with wobble wobble sounds in a bid for commercial success. It reminds me of a coked-out Paris Hilton making a sex tape with Slayer's Kerry King. It wou ... More >>

Here's The Heavy Metal Soundtrack to Your Sexcapades You've Been Looking For

We might not all agree on musical taste, I mean, metal, indie rock, jazz, hip-hop, none of it is made for everyone, but I think we can all agree that there's really nothing so appealing as all-out sex appeal. Sex might not be the first thing you think of when you think of heavy rock, but it's in the ... More >>

Metal Mondays: Metal's First Music Videos Ooze Green Jellÿ

There's never been a huge a market for heavy metal music videos. Praise is far and few between, and they don't garner awards like pop music videos, clips like Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," which won seven MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, and even grabbed a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video. But t ... More >>

Metal Mondays: Heavy Metal Is Going to Be Fine

See also: Metal Mondays: Phoenix Needs a Heavy Metal Strip Club A friend of mine brought up a very pertinent question the other day, questioning the validity of current heavy metal. Metal will always have fans, turned on by classic metal gods who've been around for decades or whatever crap current ... More >>

Metal Mondays: Phoenix Needs a Heavy Metal Strip Club

I've never been a fan of Texas, even though it's the stomping ground for a wide range of heavy acts. From the Dallas Cowboys to the phrase "everything is bigger in Texas" to George Bush, everything about the state has always had a way of agitating the hell out of me. Like, nails-on-a-chalkboard ag ... More >>

Metal Mondays: Those Dungeons and Dragons Nerds Are More Sane Than You

See also: Metal Mondays: New Music From Pantera Calls for a Home-Made Vulgar Display I don't think I'm alone in saying this, but heavy metal helped make sense of the world when I discovered it as a kid. It helped me realize that, in general, society is in denial, and gave an outlet for my frustra ... More >>

Landmine Marathon to Perform at Metallica's Orion Festival

See also: Metallica Curates Orion Music and More Festival: Who Picked Which Bands? Lucero's Brian Venable on Metallica Being Dead to Him, ATO Records, and Women & Work When Metallica revealed the lineup for Orion Music and More, the two-day festival curated by the band members themselves, plenty o ... More >>

Metal Mondays: New Music From Pantera Calls for a Home-Made Vulgar Display

Metalhead or not, everybody's got a soft spot for at least one heavy act. Jim Carrey digs Cannibal Corpse; Cameron Diaz reportedly rocks out to Iron Maiden. The writers of the hit show Californication sneak it into scripts -- all three of main character Hank Moody's novels are named after Slayer al ... More >>

Storm of Perception's Brian Herring on The Band's Supernatural Past, and Metallica vs Pantera

I respect Prescott for a handful of things: eclectic art, historic buildings (Prescott has hundreds on the National Historic Registry), and for being host to the world's oldest rodeo. And, of course, Whiskey Row, where a friend and I decided to take a shot of Jameson at every bar before heading to t ... More >>

Vintage Violence: TOAD's Rotten Tide Oozes Analog Menace

Gigantour Featuring Megadeth, Motorhead, Lacuna Coil, Volbeat at Comerica Theatre, 2/25/12

Gigantour Comerica Theatre Saturday, February 25 I'm no metalhead, but I recognize dedication when I see it. I spent last night at the Gigantour, featuring Megadeth, Motorhead, Lacuna Coil, and Volbeat, packed into Comerica theatre with people from all generations, cloaked in the blackest of black, ... More >>

Megadeth's Dave Ellefson: "Why I'm Trying to Become a Pastor"

You gotta hand it to American thrash metalheads Megadeth. For as rocky as their successful road has been, the band has done great job at keeping things surprising. Just last week, guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine made headlines by announcing his endorsement of far-right presidential candidate Rick " ... More >>

Children of Bodom @ Marquee Theatre

Metallica Curates Orion Music and More Festival: Who Picked Which Bands?

Metal legends Metallica recently announced the two-day Orion Music and More Festival, where the band will headline each night by playing a different classic album, Ride the Lightning and The Black Album, in their entirety. There's a super-long video on the festival site featuring an interview with t ... More >>

Incoming (Again): Odd Future, Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, Brian Jonestown Massacre

Brian Jonestown Massacre ​Hey, I know we already did an Incoming Concerts post this week, but I'm getting drowned in show announcements here at UOTS HQ. So let's dive in: The rap collective Odd Future head back to Marquee Theatre on Friday, March 9. Will the crew sell the joint out again? Wi ... More >>

Anthrax Revels in What Was a Huge Year for the Thrash Titans

Five Holiday Gifts for Your Metal-Loving Uncle

​Alright, slacker. There's no more denying it: the holidays are here, and you need to get on that shopping list. Luckily, Up on the Sun has caught gift guide-fever, and over the course of this week we'll be offering you suggestions for the entire family. It's hard to forget your metal-loving ... More >>

Incoming: Roger Waters, Gigantour, New Edition

Riverfront Times​Roger Waters is coming back to the US Airways Center to perform The Wall in its entirety once again. I was there last time, and many would agree that it was easily one of the best shows to have come through Phoenix in 2010.Roger Waters, New Edition, Megadeth and Motorhead will be ... More >>

Judas Priest at Arizona State Fair, 10/21/11

Maria Vassett​Judas Priest Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fair Friday, October 21, 2010 Let's get it out of the way straight off the bat: I've never been big Judas Priest fan. I don't dislike the band, mind you, but I've never really delved in beyond the hits. (I think I have a ... More >>

Opeth @ Marquee Theatre

Avenged Sevenfold @ Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion

Five Bands That Set Out to Be Creepy, But Ended Up Lame

​As a kid, a lot of things creep you out that really shouldn't. Shower drains, primarily, along with cryptic pictures of Jesus Christ and, of course, clowns (John Wayne Gacy, Jr. being the exception.) Certain bands seem to play on that irrational childhood fear, making their music a year-roun ... More >>

Metal Goes Pop: Five Examples of Doing It Right

​Yesterday our compatriots at Country Grind announced that heavy rockers Torche and Part Chimp will team for upcoming Chunklet-issued 12-inch record that finds Torche covering legendary lo-fi rockers Guided By Voices. Torche have always been a metal band unafraid to embrace big pop sounds, and th ... More >>

Diamond Head @ The Clubhouse Music Venue

Bassist From Metal Band Mayhem to Have Exorcism Performed In Phoenix

Mayhem​Has there ever been any form of music more closely associated with the Devil than metal? Sure, back in the '50s, most conservative types thought that Elvis and rock 'n' roll in general was "the Devil's music," but imagine if those same people had ever caught a glimpse of what was to com ... More >>

Dogbreth: They Did It All for the Chookie

Rockstar Mayhem Festival at Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion, 7/15/11

Maria Vassett​Megadeth, Godsmack, and Disturbed at Rockstar Mayhem Festival Friday, July 15, 2011 The Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion"You guys are fucking amazing, Phoenix!"This was the first thing I heard as I approached the Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion for the Rockstar Mayhe ... More >>

Sicmonic @ 910 Live

New York Dolls @ Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion

Somehow, Jethro Tull Toppled Metallica for a Grammy Upset

Deftones Discuss Why They're Not Boycotting Arizona

Holy Grail, & Cauldron @ Nile Theater

Six Million Dead: Arizona Death Metal to Rattle Your Brain

www.facebook.com/sixmilliondeadSix Million Dead: A million miles-per-minute.​Heavy metal has a rich and diverse history in Arizona. Our state has had a horde of notable residents: hard rock pioneer Alice Cooper, hair metal singer Bret Michaels of Poison, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, Dave Musta ... More >>

The Premier Queensryche Tribute Band Lived the Dream but Is Ready to Put Its Baby to Bed

The Big 4 Festival at Empire Polo Grounds Last Night

Mike R. MeyerJames Hetfield of Metallica performs at The Big 4 Festival in Indio.​The Big 4 Festival (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax) Empire Polo Grounds, Indio, California Saturday, April 23, 2011 It's not an understatement to say that yesterday's Big 4 Festival was an event nearly thre ... More >>

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine Is Metal's MVP

Alice Cooper: 'Actually, it was Ozzy Osbourne, Who Did That Crazy Thing You Remember'

If you can tell Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne apart in these photos, Alice Cooper would like to shake your hand.​Shock rocker Alice Cooper would like to remind you that he did not, in fact, do that crazy thing you think you remember him doing. That was actually Ozzy Osbourne.   "Fo ... More >>

Carnifex @ The Underground

Hemoptysis' New Record, Misanthropic Slaughter, Now on Pre-Order, Getting Rave Reviews from Metal Blogs

​Phoenix metal band Hemoptysis is getting a lot of love for their soon-to-be-released album Misanthropic Slaughter.The band, which Phoenix New Times sponsored at South by Southwest and featured in print last March, put the album up for pre-order yesterday on their web site.Misanthropic is technica ... More >>

The Big 4 (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer & Anthrax) Announce Lone U.S. Concert, Prompting New Times Contributor To Announce Incredibly Nerdy Metal Project

​Dreams do come true. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax, thrash metal's legendary "Big Four," have just announced a lone U.S. concert on Saturday, April 23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 28.Despite their status as the godfathers of the t ... More >>

Madball Is Now Moving at a More Civilized Pace

Hemoptysis and Landmine Marathon at the Clubhouse Music Venue Last Night

Maria VassettHemoptysis​Hemoptysis and Landmine MarathonClubhouse Music VenueJanuary 7, 2011Two of the Valley's best metal bands came together last night for a show that set the bar high for the local metal scene in 2011. Landmine Marathon and Hemoptysis put together a 1-2 punch last night that no ... More >>

Win Motörhead Swag in a Mosh Potatoes Cooking Contest

Wikimedia Commons Lemmy from Motorhead has some swag up for grabs​This week, we shared our experiences cooking with Mosh Potatoes, a heavy metal cookbook filled with recipes from rockers like Lita Ford, Anthrax, Megadeth, and Otep. We noted that the most extreme recipe was "Krakatoa Surpri ... More >>

Mosh Potatoes: A Heavy Metal Cookbook That Rocks

​There's a new heavy metal cookbook in stores called Mosh Potatoes (Atria Paperback), and even if you're not a headbanger, you'll find something to appreciate in this clever tome. Where else could you ever find recipes for things like "Hot Rod Penis Loaf" (courtesy of Gen from Genitorturers) ... More >>

Map of Metal Displays Interactive History of All Things Metal

Slayer!​Ever wondered where Melodic Power Metal came from or which bands actually play that kind of metal? How about the origins of Crossover Thrash, Grindcore or Speed Metal?Graphic designer Patrick Galbraith and metal historian Nick Grant's Map of Metal has all of that covered. The interactive m ... More >>

Black Label Society @ Comerica Theatre

Phoenix's Gomi Are Bringing Grunge Back from the Dead

Slayer, Megadeth, Hell City Tattoo Festival, The Maine and Artists for Action Over the Weekend

​Slayer, Megadeth and Testament at Dodge Theatre Last Night We actually won! By "we," I mean thrash metal, of course - the bands, the fans and the music. After nearly three decades of playing the role of scrappy underdog, thrash metal finally seems to have turned the corner and become a more v ... More >>