The music industry is a brutal battlefield. It’s strewn with the bodies of talented artists who were suffocated by success (Kurt Cobain), swallowed whole by indulgence (Keith Moon), or taken by tragedy (Randy Rhoads). No genre is safe: The path to the top of the charts is paved with some…
The music industry is a brutal battlefield. It’s strewn with the bodies of talented artists who were suffocated by success (Kurt Cobain), swallowed whole by indulgence (Keith Moon), or taken by tragedy (Randy Rhoads). No genre is safe: The path to the top of the charts is paved with some…
Phil Anselmo has been a pioneering metal vocalist ever since coming on board with Pantera in 1987. Since then, he’s contributed vocals to more than three dozen acts–most notably as the front man of Down and Superjoint Ritual–and has been involved in twice as many other projects, including voicing Satan…
Phil Anselmo has been a pioneering metal vocalist ever since joining Pantera in 1987. Since then, he’s contributed vocals to more than three dozen acts — most notably as the frontman of Down and Superjoint Ritual — and has been involved in twice as many other projects, including voicing Satan…
Nowadays, Phil Anselmo is mostly an open book. On one hand, he’s creating a “brand,” even though much of his time is dedicated to representing everything that doesn’t want to be branded. On the other, it’s an underground brand of being fucking hostile, and he finds a way to somehow…
Everyone knows that Zia Records hooks up all the Valley music junkies. Big-time. The lure of that sharp red and yellow “Zia” sign brings in people from all walks of life seeking novelty toys, every possible music genre, and movies. Personally, it’s the smell of vinyl that calls my name…
Society is obsessed with culture clash. Stories of different countries making love and starting wars, cuisine fusions and foreign customs — people eat it up, day after day. But what else society is craving nowadays? A rowdy new democracy. And the music industry wants the same. Enter The Aristocrats, three…
Within instrumental music circles, the majority of the talented musicians run alone — releasing solo albums, working as sidemen, dipping deep into numerous projects. And on occasion, a handful of those virtuoso artists come together to create more than just a collaborative album, and it gets a little rowdy in…
Last year was surprisingly good for metal. Not only did we have some mosh pit-worthy tours and festivals — those only seem to increase every year — but there were a ton of kick-ass album releases, as well. Amon Amarth’s Deceiver of the Gods, Ghost B.C.’s Infestissuman, Phil Anselmo’s Walk…
Last night, metal god Rob Halford from Judas Priest made a guest voice appearance on an episode of The Simpsons called “Steal This Episode.” In a nutshell, Homer became annoyed with movie theaters, so Bart taught him how to download movies illegally. Of course, Homer thinks this revelation kicks ass…
It’s that time of year where our focus is officially shifting from reflecting on 2013 to preparing for 2014. Another 365 days have swept by, full of heavy metal ups and downs, groupies and drug overdoses, mind-blowing riffs and sold-out shows. The state of metal in 2013 certainly hasn’t blown…
Any true heavy metal fan can attest to the fact that the worlds of fashion and heavy metal should never go hand-in-hand — but this day and age, selling out and heading mainstream is only becoming more prevalent. So years back, when a handful of heavy metal bands began releasing…
Last night Willie Nelson & Family played to a sold-out crowd at Celebrity Theatre–and it was quite the family affair. Not just because Nelson had about half of his own immediate family members on stage, but because the intimate setting embraced a crowd that was as comfortable with other Willie…
Country music legend, activist, author, poet, actor–Willie Nelson fits into any one of these categories. He helped shape outlaw country towards the end of the 1960s, by bringing country artists who felt restricted by the Nashville sound together with “hippie” rock musicians, and his classic, low-key voice, timeless melodies, and…
Whenever my brothers and I are together, it’s pretty difficult for anyone to understand our conversation unless they have a strong knowledge of Dumb & Dumber, Ace Ventura, or Anchorman quotes. And when I heard there was going to be an Anchorman: The Legend Continues film, I had my hopes…
Guitarist and lead vocalist Matt Heafy was around 13 or 14 when Trivium formed in Orlando in 2000, and only 17 when Trivium released their debut album, Ember To Inferno. Over the past decade, Heafy and the other members of Trivium have come a long way, from constant experimentation (each…
Back in 2009, Brian “Head” Welch was hosting auditions at his Phoenix studio in order to craft a band for his own brand of music. The legendary former Korn guitarist experimented and jammed out with a few members, but then went back to searching for his ideal bandmates. In 2011,…
The Grammys has never been known for supporting heavy metal. Heavy bands show up and it’s like a burnout kid crashing his parents’ fancy dinner party. Even when Halestorm won Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for their song “Love Bites (And So Do I)” at the 2013 Grammys, Lzzy Hale told…
From blasting “Schools Out” during my teenage wasteland days to jamming out to the chugging guitar in “Under My Wheels” in my office, Alice Cooper has always played a prominent position in my heavy metal playlist. Not only did he help shape the sound and look of heavy metal with…
When it comes to tradition during the holiday season, Phoenix isn’t known for snowmen, hot cocoa, or sledding. But one thing that can always be counted upon is the tradition of Christmas Pudding — Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding, to be exact. And it’s a tasty recipe. After nearly five decades…
It can be easy to miss unless you’re looking for it, but there’s a lot of metal in the Valley, locals and touring acts alike. Our Metal Mondays columnist, Lauren Wise, is always on the lookout for the best local and national metal shows to come through town. That’s why…
The evil disco is back in the desert. We’re not talking about some new trend of goth raves, or another event like Bloodfest 2013. This is about dirty, raw energy. Industrial metal, functioning at its highest level of stamina. That’s right — Wayne Static is back to provide a whirlwind…
