Ask any metalhead of a certain age and they’ll tell you the nineties have a lot to answer for. A sudden and seismic change in trends saw the death of Thrash, Glam, and other associated sub-genres, and the unprecedented rise of the Grunge and Alternative scenes. What was popular one minute was outdated the next, and while many bands simply weren’t able to survive, others tried embracing the change.Continue reading
California crossover originals, Excel, are dropping a re-issue of their long-out-of-print album, Seeking Refuge, via Southern Lord records. Originally released in 1995, it offers a glimpse at an Excel many have never heard before, complete with a guest shot from H.R. of Bad Brains (on “Take Your Part Gotta Encourage”) and a video starring Tony Alva for the anthemic single “Unenslaved.” The album was reissued for Record Store Day 2024, and sold out. A new run is going out on July 19th, in red vinyl and digital formats. Head into the article below to find out more.
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From Left: Scott Ian, Dave Grohl, Charlie Benante Photo credit: Greg Caputo
Credited as “GBI” – Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Charlie Benante, and Scott Ian (Anthrax) – released their Record Store Day 7 Inch single of “The Regulator” (Megaforce Records), the iconic Bad Brains song from the band’s self-titled 1982 debut album. Released as a Record Store Day seven-inch exclusive, only 6000 copies of the track were pressed, with all proceeds going towards healthcare for Bad Brains’ frontman Paul D. Hudson, better known as H.R., who suffers from rare, severe headaches known as SUNCT. Watch the video for “The Regulator” now!Continue reading
Los Angeles Industrial Metal band Contracult Collective have shared a cover version of hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains’ 1986 single “Sacred Love” along with a music video! The clip features the bands’ performance and behind-the-scenes footage from their recent performance at Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, headlined by Metallica and Misfits among many others. You can catch the band next week at Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, FL on Thursday, November 11 alongside headliners Slipknot, Gojira and Cypress Hill. Check out “Sacred Love” now!
Legend of hardcore punk, Sid McCray who was the singer of pre-Bad brains group Mind Power, has died. No cause of death has been revealed at this time. News of his passing was shared by members of the punk community online. Sid was responsible for turning the Jazz-fusion based Mind Power on to the early punk rock, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and other heavy bands that led to their more aggressive sound when they formed Bad Brains. Sid would leave the nascent hardcore punk forefathers and he was replaced by HR just as they were getting started. Sid would remain an ally to the band, part of their road crew, a major supporter of the scene, and would occasionally perform with the group, such as this video below at Okay Space with D. Randall Blythe of Lamb of God, which you can see below. Rest in Power Sid, and we send our sympathies out to his family, fans, and crew at this time.Continue reading
Having successfully secured the Cro-Mags name after a year-long court battle with former members John Joseph and Mackie Jayson, frontman and general hardcore legend Harley Flanagan follows up last year’s From the Grave and Don’t Give In EP’s (Victory Records) with In the Beginning (Mission Two Entertainment/Arising Empire), the first full-length release from the celebrated New York act in twenty long years. Continue reading
High on Fire is having a busy week! They shred their cover of Thin Lizzy early era banger ‘Vagabonds of The Western World’, as part of Glory or Death Records’ Bow to Your Masters series which you can hear below. They also released a new EP today for Record Store Day, Bat Salad. The EP has one original and covers of Celtic Frost and Black Sabbath! Check it out! You can find the EP on sale here:
Stereotypes are such a crass and ugly thing. Used as a lazy and offensive descriptor of someone’s personality due to their nationality, they are something that should be abolished. The stereotypical view of Belgium and its people is one of being reserved and downright boring. How better to dispel that myth that with some high-velocity anarcho-Punk? Enter Cocaine Piss.Continue reading
There was once a fabled war between Punk and Metal. It seems hard to believe today with the two being so often deeply entrenched both musically and ideologically these days, but alleged reports of intense violence at cross-genre shows are a thing of legend. A sort of peace deal was brokered with the advent of Crossover Thrash, Grindcore and Hardcore, particularly the Metallic Hardcore subgenre. It’s here in the grey area of what is Punk and what is Metal we find Endorphins Lost, a Hardcore/Powerviolence outfit straight out of the Pacific Northwest with Seclusions (From The Head Of Zeus).Continue reading
Lamb of God, under the guise of their original moniker Burn The Preist, has released their cover of Bad Brains hardcore classic ‘I Against I’. The band began their current tour last night, opening for Slayer on their farewell tour, which has now booked European dates, which go on sale next week. Jam out ‘I Against I’ and turn it up loud right now! Continue reading