Twenty-five years ago, an album shifted the future of metal. It shed old stigmas and embraced a new musical blueprint and, for many, offered renewed hope for the future of metal. It was named for four groundbreaking musicians — Phil Anselmo, Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott, Vinnie Paul, and Rex Brown —…

Over the past five years, Slayer’s world has been turned inside out. But proudly displaying what they’re made of has always been the band’s strong suit—2015 might just mark one of the most raw, visceral and vulnerable transitions for the band in its 30-plus year career so far. Touring extensively…

It’s July. In Phoenix. Which means that the streets are devoid of college students and snowbirds, and steering wheels are best handled with oven mitts. Days average around 110 degrees, which means that bands — at the peak of their summer touring schedules—probably dread heading our way. However, the rest…

Ill Niño is a fitting name for a heavy metal act that has been whipping through festivals and speakers non-stop since the year 2000. It was in 2003 that the American Latin metal band garnered the attention of the mainstream with their second album Confession. Over the course of seven studio…

The desert has always been a place of spirituality and mystery, where wanderers seek truth and solace and eclectic art and music are made. On one hand, it invokes deep creativity and a refined type of swagger. On the other, it creates a divide, a feeling of every man for…

Helping each other out is just par for the course in heavy metal. There are lots of people who are weirdly surprised by this fact—but I’ve seen first hand the amazing charity efforts, organizations, and hospitality spurred by the music’s supporters. And when it comes a call to action in…

The year 2015 has already been a pretty solid year for heavy metal. More festivals in the U.S. have popped up, like the Loudwire Festival and the first-ever U.S. Rock in Rio, and the month of May had six consecutive weekends of record-setting attendance for festivals like Carolina Rebellion and…

While June is beautiful just about everywhere else in the United States, it’s when the streets of Phoenix start to get sluggish. Not only are all the snowbirds gone (thank God), but the triple digits really hit full force. Lucky for us desert rats, the music industry doesn’t slow down…

Otep Shamaya is no stranger to controversy. She challenges every status quo in heavy metal, feminism, and well, the music industry in general. She welcomes the chance to stand up and speak out for those with no voice, or who risk too much to use it. As a result, the…

At Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend, there was a ton of old and new metal. You had the classics, like Judas Priest, Dillinger Escape Plan and Slash; favorites from the last decade, like Slipknot and Halestorm; and artists that are starting to break big on…

View image | gettyimages.com One of the most influential heavy metal songs has a pretty heavy metal backstory. And the album it belongs to is the most controversial in the band’s history. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett came up with the main riff on “Enter Sandman” while suffering from insomnia. It…

We don’t get too many May flowers in the Valley of the Sun — but we do get a truckload of May metal shows. There are a ton of great shows around town, which is why we compiled a monthly list of the best metal and hard rock concerts happening…

Clutch has always been a prime example of “slow and steady win the race.” After meeting in high school and forming the band in Maryland in 1991, the members — vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Neil Fallon, lead guitarist Tim Sult, bassist Dan Maines, and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster — have never faltered. It’s probably…

View image | gettyimages.com Oh, 4/20. Back in the day I would skip classes, take work off, plan a baking extravaganza — all in celebration of weed culture. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized you don’t need an excuse to take pleasure in the little things. Which is why…

It’s not uncommon to see 10 bands on a line-up on any given Friday night, and when it comes to local festivals, that number averages around 20. But the AZ Brutal Fest is taking it to an entirely new level at Rogue Bar in Scottsdale on Friday, April 17, and…

Heavy metal burlesque is nothing new — the Suicide Girls have been doing it for more than a decade, and dance troupes full of rock music lovin’ tattooed ladies have been popping up in every city. I once went to this club underneath the historic D&F Clocktower in Denver, called…

April showers? Not so much in the Valley of the Sun. While the rest of the country experiences the fresh air of spring, we are hit with our first wave of hundred-degree temperatures. But that’s okay, because the season also kicks off with a bounty of band tours, particularly those…

There’s no doubt that THC is all about making you feel good. It causes you to laugh, feel nostalgic, forget all your worries. Plus, it makes barbecue taste 10 times better. And by THC, I’m talking about Texas Hippie Coalition…

Forget being left out of the Grammys; you rarely hear about anything in those heavy metal and hard rock in the news, unless someone passes away or gets arrested for something ridiculous. But it doesn’t really faze metal and rock fans that much. We don’t really care about whose dating…

You’d think that Doro Pesch would come off as a pretty tough broad. I mean, this is the first female band leader in heavy metal. Her name has been synonymous with “strength” over the past 30 years. She helped pioneer heavy metal’s style, not just blazing a trail for future…

Arizona is no stranger to Megadeth drama. So when guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover officially left the band last year, metal fans anxiously wondered what musical endeavor they would dive into next. Enter the aptly named Act of Defiance. The former Megadeth members revealed that this new hard…