March in Phoenix is usually one of the most beautiful months of the year — the transition between winter and summer is in full swing, so the weather is usually in the, oh, high 80s. For those who aren’t familiar, no — we don’t have a spring season here. It…

“You hear one metal band, you’ve heard ’em all.” Heavy metal fans know that this is one of the most naive statements one can say about the genre, but it’s still a sentiment often spoken. Metal genres are exponentially diverse nowadays, allowing for some interesting lineups. A perfect example is…

While I try not to whine about it too much, it’s a true fact that our fair Southwest desert doesn’t get too much “rock festival” action. Sure — we seem to have EDM raves and indie rock fests galore. But when it comes to weekends packed with hard rock, and…

When John 5 received his first guitar at age 7, it became a lifelong love affair (lucky for us). He had no way of knowing that, within just a few decades, he would be seen as one of music’s most acclaimed and sought-after guitar-slingers. All I gotta say is when…

One of the great things about Phoenix bands is that they constantly pump the local scene. Local hardcore/death metal at Ella Kaye reinforced this with their recent EP release Comas Collide on February 8. It’s a collaborative effort; meant to showcase metal variety and musicians having a damn good time,…

The start of February made it one of the busiest, most exciting months of 2015 in the Valley of the Sun. More than a million extra people crowded into town for the Phoenix Open, the Superbowl, or the fact that they’re just snowbirds. Clearly cause for shots of whiskey and…

Update: Since this article went to press, the Some Call Us Heroes appearance at Yucca Tap Room has been canceled due to “unforeseen medical circumstances,” as described on the band’s Facebook page. A few years ago, five Phoenix musicians from various respected local bands came together and hit the ground…

As one of the original Gothenburg (Sweden) metal bands, Dark Tranquillity offers a style of music that’s few and far between. Formed in 1989 by guitarist Niklas Sundin and vocalist/guitarist Mikael Stanne, the five-piece melodic death metal act has released 10 studio albums over the years, each one substantially different…

Periphery is one of those bands that are difficult to forget. It’s not because they are constantly in the mainstream, shoved in your face by way of radio play, music videos or non-stop festival headlining. Although I’m sure they wouldn’t turn down any of that. No — you remember Periphery…

Death metal bands that have been able to permeate the metal industry up from the core of the underground scene are few between. But a band that has been able to do that consistently for a quarter of a century, and still not view their artistry as a “job,” well…

The year 2014 ended with a hell of a heavy metal season, with shows like Yucca Tap Room’s “Not So Silent Night” ushering in the New Year — but unlike the insane holiday spending and the snowbird-thick traffic pace, the show calendar isn’t slowing down any time soon. I’m aware…

The holiday season is winding down, and we at New Times hope that you had a great 2014. As we look forward to the New Year, I wanted to recap some of the best Metal Mondays blogs of the year. These were picked based off of social media shares, how…

Whatever your religious beliefs — Christian, Jewish, Pagan, Athiest — there’s no avoiding the ruckus of the holiday season. For me, Christmas brings a lot of old traditions, love and charitable giving, but there’s a lot of needless commercialism that’s shoved down everyone’s throats starting the day after Halloween. So…

Searching for the perfect gift for that music lover in your life isn’t so difficult. However, trying to find the perfect gift for a metalhead is a bit more daunting. It’s not that we’re picky — we just don’t particularly value the commercialized side of our beloved genre. Therefore, the…

Rock music and annoying egos go hand-in-hand. In fact, the pairing is almost as guaranteed as headbanging and mosh pits. Groupies and tour buses. Dimebag and a Black Tooth Grin shots. Revolting disgust and the Kardashian clan. You get the picture. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a huge national act,…

It’s that time of year where I get to say “‘Tis the season to be metal.” The temperatures have finally fallen, and some of our favorite metal band’s touring schedules are still in full swing. It’s that time of year where we can leave those sweaty mosh pits and emerge…

I have personal issues with Black Friday. I just don’t get it. Why would you leave your house after a perfectly good day of football and feasting to embark on a wild goose chase for yet another flat-screen television or deep fryer, no matter how deeply discounted they are? Rabid…

The Valley of the Sun has a lot of musical talent that spans across all genres. However, when it comes to heavy metal, the desert spawns some killer musicians. So we decided to take a look at some of our favorite heavy metal shredders. There’s no way to really define…

There are three bands about to come through Phoenix that have, collectively, been writing, recording, playing and influencing heavy metal for around 100 years. One. Hundred. Years. You might think, yeah, okay; that’s impressive. What if I also said that, collectively, these bands have released more than 30 studio albums,…