When it comes to acrimonious splits within bands, some music fans have long memories. Tending to side with one party over the other, many loyal devotees can either be unwilling or simply unable to let go of the past no matter how much water has passed under the bridge in the meantime. The faint hope of some future reconciliation usually remains among the embittered faithful but when death becomes part of the story a grudge often turns into something unforgivable and can last a lifetime.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.”
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
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!
Abby K is back again with another full band, live performance style video for her cover of Danzig’s classic song “Mother” from his 1988 debut. The track is from her upcoming EP, Live From The Playroom. Watch the clip right now! Continue reading
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.