The terms “black metal” and “benefit show” may not seem like they go hand-in-hand, but you’d be amazed at the amount of love coursing through veins of local act Blessedbethyname. This industrial black metal band is one of the best known metal bands to come out of the Valley of…

This past Saturday, Korn crashed through town, performing at the Arizona State Fair. I watched in glee. This is a band that truly contributed to opening the door to metal for me. Before that discovery, I was a sixth grader rocking out to Westside Connection, much to my Backstreet Boy-loving…

Since 2010 New Hampshire-bred metal band Vattnet Viskar has adroitly melded all sorts of metal: sludge, atmospheric, black, and the mixture has impressed crowds in dark, dingy venues all over the country. Two EPs deep and their debut full-length album in the works through Century Media Records, Vattnet Viskar come…

Just in time for the Halloween season, noted heavy metal icon and horror enthusiast Scott Ian of Anthrax has launched a new web series,Blood & Guts, on the Nerdist YouTube channel. Ian visits various horror-oriented special effects studios, gets a close-up look at famous movie props (think the original Alien…

In the past I have definitely bitched about how the Southwest gets skipped over by a lot of metal festivals. But here’s some good news: our fair state is finally putting on one of its own. This weekend the Southwest Terror Fest goes down in Tucson, serving as a crazy-ass…

If there’s one month that you can count on to be on metal’s side, it’s October. We’re allowed to adorn our residences with skulls, fake blood, and motion-sensor demons without being judged. Hell, we are also allowed to indulge in an array of freaky, horrific activities, orchestrated by record companies…

I know it sounds weird, but I’ve always been a fan of Men’s Health magazine. But in a recent issue, the magazine featured an article about updating sex playlists from such old cliches, like substituting Air’s Talkie Walkie in for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. This article linked…

Back in 2007 when Vinnie Paul and Chad Gray announced their new band Hellyeah, fans weren’t sure what to expect of group made from members of Mudvayne, Pantera, Damageplan, and Nothingface. No doubt it was going to be heavy, but would it gear towards visual theatrics and sonic experimentation like…

Since 2006, local band Digital Summer has been garnering fans from all over the country, with a Facebook count of almost 50,000 fans. They have a distinguishable style of heavy, melodic guitars and raw vocals that not only comes off as radio-friendly, but also sets them apart from other local…

In the late ’90s and early ’00s, Limp Bizkit was a juggernaut, and guitarist Wes Borland was the chugging soul of the band. The observant, cryptic counterpart to outspoken rap-rocker Fred Durst, he was responsible for much of the band’s success, with his experimental, heavy riffs and outlandish look (makeup-caked…

“I love Phoenix,” Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 says excitedly. “Rob [Zombie] and the other guys in the band, they like the colder weather, but for some reason I love the really hot weather.” He pauses, then anxiously asks, “It should be really warm there still when I’m there in…

Rob Zombie isn’t out to terrify you. He’s out to blow your mind. He holds a number of titles: director, artist, musician, actor, writer, lover, and freak show. And everything he does is loaded up with theatrics, subtle intelligence, and aggression. Zombie is fresh off his August release Mondo Sex…

See also: The Most Anticipated Heavy Metal Releases of the Fall See also: The 10 Hottest Chicks in Metal See also: Six Desert Metal Bands You Need to Hear See also: A Closer Look at KUPD’s MILF Contest 2012There are few things in this world that have the ability to…

Get ready for some unleashed feminine fury: One Eyed Doll, Butcher Babies, and Otep are coming to town. It’s a match made in the netherworld: One Eyed Doll mixes punk and metal with a unique Mad Hatter bent, that is if the Mad Hatter had decided to dismember all his…

See also: The 10 Hottest Chicks in Metal See also: Six Desert Metal Bands You Need to Hear See also: A Closer Look at KUPD’s MILF Contest 2012Long running alt-metal combo The Deftones have announced that Tuesday, November 12, will be the release date for Koi No Yokan, their first…

Hang on guys, here’s something you won’t believe: Phil Anselmo of Pantera/Down is mad about something. But it’s not the sort of thing we’re used to him being mad about. As you’re no doubt aware, with the weather beginning to act like it might cool down, college campuses swelling with…