Journey’s Neal Schon Doesn’t Just Want to Play The Hits
When Journey’s Neal Schon was 15, he faced probably one of the biggest decisions of his career: should he join Eric Clapton’s band, or Carlos Santana’s?
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The 9 Best Metal Concerts in Metro Phoenix in November 2016
Arizona metalheads, it’s finally November. Take a deep breath of fresh air — after all, we’re finally out of the triple digits — kick back, and listen to some of your favorite tunes. One of the best parts about the impending holiday season is the end-of-year sales on music and the…
Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless Believes It’s Unfair to the Listener to Explain Songs
Taylor Momsen is no stranger to the spotlight. She’s been modeling and acting since age 2, and she began writing music by the time she was in grade school. (Years later, a song she wrote at age 8 even ended up on a 24-year-old reality star’s debut album). She starred…
Pierce the Veil’s Vic Fuentes Explains Why He Writes Songs For Individual Fans He’s Met
Over the course of just 10 years and four albums, progressive rock/hardcore outfit Pierce the Veil accomplished what most bands strive for yet few achieve: the skyrocketing whirlwind of the rock star dream. But they didn’t get there by seeming “untouchable” or big-money ad spots. Pierce the Veil did the opposite,…
The 10 Best Concerts We’ve Seen at Crescent Ballroom
Crescent Ballroom celebrates its fifth anniversary today. It’s hard to imagine what downtown would look like without the venue, which in terms of influence seems older than it is. But back in 2011 owner Charlie Levy just wanted to create a venue with character. “Strip it down to the bare…
Trivium’s Paolo Gregoletto Prefers Sia to Taylor Swift
Melodic death metal, progressive metal, metalcore — shelve Trivium in whichever genre you please, but you’d be wasting your time. Trivium is a band that is known for consistently putting out technically impressive creations; their music shifts and morphs, pulling influences from a dozen genres and conjoining them into technically…
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The 11 Best Metal Concerts in Phoenix in September 2016
Here in Phoenix, September means “back to school” for both kiddos and collegiate-minded folks. For us metalheads, however, it means “back to shows.” And believe us, there are plenty of heavy metal and hard rock concerts happening in Metro Phoenix this month. The summer provided a long stretch of hot…
Zakk Wylde: “Guns N’ Roses Are the Zeppelin of Our Generation”
Over the past few decades, Zakk Wylde has somehow mastered the art of being one of the most influential modern guitarists of our time, but still staying under the radar. And while he isn’t one to start many debates, this interview made it clear that, once he gets started on…
The 11 Best Metal Shows in Metro Phoenix in August
August. The hottest month of the year, bar none. At Back East Bagels in Tempe, there’s even a super-spicy sandwich called the August 22. But we’re almost through it: School is starting back up, football is around the corner, fall festivals and holidays are the light at the end of…
The 10 Best Metal Concerts in Metro Phoenix in July 2016
It’s July. I’m not going to go into a rant about how hot it currently is in Phoenix — we all know. We all see the annoying Facebook posts daily of temperature gauges. Yes, we live in the desert. Yes, it’s the price we pay for gorgeous winters. So shut…
How Three Metal Frontwomen Made Me Wonder If I’m Sexist
Fifty years ago, women’s role in heavy metal was mostly a lyrical focal point — a heartbreaking vixen, fantasy figure, groupie. Now, it’s commonplace that women not only frequent the stage, but work as tour managers, sound and light techs, promoters, publicists, booking agents, managers, and more — all in…
Ice-T Thinks We Might Be Headed Towards Civil War
As a young man, Ice-T had a penchant for rock ‘n’ roll. And while his path led him into the hardcore hip-hop world, he never lost that passion for music of the heavier, guitar-driven variety. It wasn’t until the early ’90s until he began to explore the type of music…
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The 10 Best Growlers in The Phoenix Heavy Metal Scene
Arizona has spawned and been home to some pretty influential acts in heavy metal, from Soulfly to Sacred Reich, Maynard James Keenan to Alice Cooper. But while the more renowned acts helped lay the groundwork for the local scene and style, every city has its key players that dominate the…
The 10 Best Metal Concerts of Metro Phoenix in June 2016
Summer is upon us, which gives you all the more reason to turn up the heat on heading out to live shows in the evening when the temps cool down. The summers here may not be the most ideal time for us to head out to shows, but it’s prime…
Jamey Jasta on Hatebreed’s New Album and Why Musicians Need to Speak Out
In a culture like hardcore metal and punk, where bootlegs and bands’ early cuts reign supreme, Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta admits that he harbors an unpopular opinion. “I say the best times are now. I’m not a nostalgic person, so when they all want the old stuff? I feel like…
The 13 Best Metal Concerts in Metro Phoenix in May 2016
As we predicted last month in the best monthly metal shows, those crazy April metal showers clearly yield May metal — 13 to be exact, aligning perfectly with those Friday the 13th shows as well. And this month’s list of killer shows, combined with the crazy cool weather we’ve been…
Highly Suspect’s Rich Meyer Talks Party Drugs And Writing Heavier Music With Age
In 2009, Highly Suspect was a Cape Cod bar band playing cover songs by legends like Sublime, Jimi Hendrix, and Pink Floyd. Six years, four albums/EPs, and two Grammy nominations later, the band clearly didn’t just change their musical concept. In fact, Highly Suspect has helped redefine a lot in…
The Nine Best Metal Shows in Metro Phoenix in April 2016
When it rains, it pours—and that’s exactly what you can expect from the metal gods this April in Phoenix! It’s springtime, guys, and we’re in that teeny tiny window of gorgeous weather before triple digits start to slap us across the face. The Valley of the Sun is packed with…
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The Ten Best Metal Drummers in Phoenix, 2016 Edition
There are two elements in rock music that don’t get the credit they deserve: the percussion and the bass. Both work together to provide the foundation to the beat of the song and the melody. While the bass works as the bridge between the percussion and the rest of the…
The 14 Best Metal Concerts in Phoenix in March 2016
March always brings a packed calendar of events to the Valley of the Sun — we have Spring Training, which brings more than 100 baseball games spread across a dozen fields, lots of outdoor festivals, and the calm before the 100 degree days. The spring also prompts bands out to…
Peter Frampton’s First-Ever Acoustic Tour to Hit Phoenix
The Phoenix. A symbol of revival, of taking something that once was an all-powerful force and giving it new life. Phoenix, like the name of legendary guitarist/songwriter Peter Frampton’s favorite guitar (lost, reunited with Frampton 30 years later, and actually spelled “Phenix”). Also the name of one of the cities…
15 Best Metal Concerts in Phoenix in February 2016
The month of February brings a packed calendar of events to the Valley of the Sun—the Barrett Jackson car show is wrapping up, the Waste Management Open kicking off, and the weather is gorgeous, prompting an array of other outside festivals and activities. It also prompts bands to get back…