ALBUM REVIEW: Ho99o9 – Skin


The revolution has been a long time coming. 

It has been over thirty-five years since Anthrax ode to the Beastie Boys ‘I’m The Man’ laid the foundations for the much more widely celebrated and successful crossover collaboration with Public Enemy, ‘Bring The Noise’. Since then, integration of beats, metal, black and urban musical cultures has been threatened, and, despite a burst in the nineties (Pitchshifter, Atari Teenage Riot, et al, as well as the appropriation of The Prodigy into our world, and releases like Nine Inch NailsFixed – all on a much more mainstream and palatable style than the hardcore destruction of Ho99o9), and sporadic standalone artists in between, it is only as we stumble through our modern-day hell with albums like Code Orange’s Forever and acts like Backxwash that it seems that the ideas and opportunities of such fusion are being revisited with violent intent. 

Continue reading


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Riot Fest 2017 – Douglas Park, Chicago


Nine Inch Nails at Riot Fest 2017, by Omar Cordy/OJC PICS

Riot Fest was started a few years back in the grand spirit of the old school one-off festivals of lore. It was intended to be special from the get-go and they have done a reasonable job of sandwiching themselves into a busy summer of Lollapalooza, Chicago Open Air, and many other destination festival shows. Having a mix of alternative rock, metal, Hip-Hop, indie rock, and more has helped carve out its own niche, and between special performances, varied food and beer options, late-night after parties, and basically the cool factor Chicago offers as one of the best cities in America, it’s no wonder fans flocked to the event from all over the world.Continue reading


Riot Fest 2017 Announces Full Schedule, Late Night Concerts


Riot Fest is coming next month in Chicago with headliners, Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age and Jawbreaker. The festival has announced the full set times and stages for the event, as well as the late night concert series. All times and ticket link details can be found below.Continue reading


The 2017 Riot Fest Lineup Includes Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, Jawbreaker And More


Riot Fest is returning to Chicago’s Douglas Park this September, and the initial lineup is absolutely amazing. Continue reading