New York City Punk Legend Howie Pyro (D Generation, Danzig) Has Died


 

According to published reports and posts on social media from friends and past bandmates, Howie Pyro, iconic New York City Punk Rock scene bassist and personality has died. He was 61 years old. Apparently, Pyro died of complications from COVID-19-related pneumonia following a liver transplant and liver disease. Best known for his time as a member of  Punk band D Generation, a super successful supergroup commercial of 1980s punk lifers with hit records and major tours. Pyro was part of the New York City punk scene in the 1970s as a member of the underage band the Blessed, who played. Along with D Generation, Pyro was a prolific collaborator. He worked with artists including Danzig, Johnny Thunders, Rancid, Joey Ramone, the Misfits, Debbie Harry, Alan Vega, Kid Congo Powers, and others. He was also the DJ behind the 45 RPM-focused radio show Intoxica! Radio. His family is requesting in lieu of flowers and other donations, please give to the UCLA Division of Liver and Pancreas Transplantation. He will be laid to rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. RIP. 

Continue reading


CONCERT REVIEW: Ill Niño – Drowning Pool – HED.PE – Evolution Empire: Live at The Gramercy Theater


 

I took a ride over to the Gramercy Theater in NYC to catch the Brothers In Arms tour featuring Drowning Pool and Ill Niño with support from HED.PE and Evolution Empire. While I have been long time fan of Drowning pool, this was my first time seeing them and any of the bands on this bill.

Continue reading


Danzig Books “Danzig II: Lucifuge” Tour Dates with Cradle of Filth and Crobot


Danzig has announced a headline tour of the USA this spring in which he and his bandmates will perform the entire 1990 album Danzig II: Lucifuge (American Recordings). The two week tour will feature Cradle Of Filth and Crobot, will launch May 5 in Reno, Nevada and end on May 19 in Austin, Texas. The May 7 concert in Ontario, California will include the aforementioned “Danzig II: Lucifuge” performance, as well as a support set by Tiger Army.

Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Volbeat – Servant of the Mind


At what point do we (I? Is it just me by now…? in which case, I’ll get with the programme asap!) change our default position that bands twenty years deep into their careers shouldn’t be producing their best stuff in a heavy music arena? Cos it’s bollocks. Our staff voted-for album of the year top 3 picks for this year to prove it. The last ten years of evidence proves it. A whole plethora of written-off bands pushing well into their second, third, even fourth, decade with career best releases prove it. There’s a pervading feeling that age dilutes quality and / or heaviness, yet nothing could be further than the truth. Particularly in the Volbeat camp, because, Servant of the Mind (EMI), their twentieth anniversary and eighth studio release, is their best to date. Form is temporary when class is permanent.Continue reading


Danzig to Release “Blackacidevil” on Vinyl for the First Time


Danzig will release his Gothic Industrial tinged album Blackacidevil, vinyl for the first time on October 29th 2021 via Cleopatra Records. Blackacidevil marked a departure from the “classic Danzig sound” as well as new members to his core band, although Danzig often writes the majority of his albums. In addition he was joined in the studio for this album by drummer Joey Castillo (later of Queens Of The Stone Age), keyboardist Joseph Bishara (now one of the preeminent horror film scorers working today) and some stellar contributions from Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, who plays guitar on 3 of the album’s tracks. In addition to killer originals that have held uip with time, there is a phenomenal industrial take on Black Sabbath’s classic song “Hand of Doom.”

Continue reading


Psycho Las Vegas Loses Some Bands Due to Visa and Pandemic Issues


In a story we have been following, Psycho Las Vegas has announced that bands such as Mayhen and Satyricon have dropped off the upcoming metal festival later this month. This is due to ongoing travel/work visa and pandemic related issues. To their credit, the fest has been dealing complaints and addressing on social media, and in emaisl to ticket holders. Other bands still hoping to gain entry into the USA to perform include Efforts are continuing for Emperor, Watain, Crippled Black Phoenix, Cult of Fire, and Psychlona, and we’ll keep tracking this story.   Continue reading


Death On Fire Shares a Cover of Danzig’s “How The Gods Kill”


Midwestern ExtremeMetal band Death on Fire has shared a new cover of Danzig’s classic song “How The Gods Kill” The song is the title track from Danzig III How The Gods Kill, and the band did a killer job here! It initially premiered at Glacially Musical Blog, and you can check it out now! 

Continue reading


CLASSIC ALBUMS REVISITED: Alice In Chains’ Self-Titled Album Turns 25


In 1995, Alice In Chains had been feeling good on the success of their first #1 album on the charts, 1994’s Jar of Flies EP, the first EP to ever debut at #1. At the same time, they were in peril as a band, with issues stemming from Layne Staley’s addiction to heroin and other band turmoil. The band did not tour to support Jar of Flies as Layne was in rehab and they took part of 1995 off. The lost opportunities from this period, including a massive Metallica/Danzig/Suicidal Tendencies tour and a near-top-of-the bill split at Woodstock 1994 (which I am still mad about) almost killed the band. They broke up briefly too, according to Sean Kinney. Little did we know they were crafting a great album, Alice in Chains (Columbia), to wash all that pain and disappointment away for a brief moment in time.

Continue reading


Misfits Drop Lawsuit Over “Fiend Skull” Trademark Infringement


The Misfits (aka Original Misfits) have dropped their lawsuit they previously filed a lawsuit against publisher Abrams “alleging misappropriation of the group’s iconic Punk logo for a coffee table book, according to the website www.worldipreview.com. The complaint was filed by Misfits AD, a company established by founding members of the band Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only to manage activities related to their reformed version of the band, on March 9th 2020. Abrams was accused of reproducing the band’s “Fiend Skull” design, registered with the US Copyright Office, without authorization. In July 2019, Abrams, which specializes in publishing illustrated books, released “Scream With Me: The Enduring Legacy of The Misfits”.  The band had accused Abrams of both copyright and trademark infringement, as well as a false designation of origin. The Misfits logo itself comes from the Crimson Ghost cult serial and has been copied, parodied, and produced on millions of shirts and other merch for decades. The book is a coffee-table book and is no longer advertised on the publisher’s website. It is avaialble on Amazon and other sellers as the “ultimate visual history paying tribute to one of punk’s most iconic bands”. According to the no dropped suit, the “Fiend Skull” design is displayed prominently on the front cover and repeatedly throughout the book. Continue reading