When it comes to describing 93696 (Thrill Jockey), the latest album by Liturgy, one could just as well start by describing what this album is not. It is not a record to easily put on in the background and definitely not a go-to if you want to reduce your anxiety. Pretty much the opposite is true. This is a record screaming in your ears for attention, that induces anxiety all along the way.
Founding Screaming Trees bassist Van Conner has died. He was just 55. No cause of death has been revealed. The news of his passing was announced in a Facebook post by Van’s brother, Screaming Trees guitarist Gary Lee Conner. You can see Gary Lee’s post below. Screaming Trees was the second band from the Connor brothers, who started as punks and lovers of Psychedelic Rock in the early 1980s, before co-founding Screaming Trees with singer Mark Lanegan and drummer Mark Pickerel. Lanegan died last February at age 57. The band would later become a breakout band from Seattle, in the “Grunge” explosion, along with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Melvins, and more. Screaming Trees album Sweet Oblivion catapulted the band with three hit singles, including “Nearly Lost You” – which was also on the Singles soundtrack, and led to the band touring the world and performing on Lollapalooza. RIP.
After their biggest year ever this year, Hellfest 2023 has booked headliners Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden, and Slipknot! Set to take place June 15-18, 2023 In Clisson, France, the bill also includes Def Leppard, Pantera, Porcupine Tree, Amon Amarth, Alter Bridge And Within Temptation, and more! Headliners for the 2022 edition of Hellfest included Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Judas Priest, Deftones, Ghost, Scorpions, and Korn over two long weekends to make up for the missed pandemic year of 2020.
Keefy from Ghost Cult caught up with Layne and Myles Ulrich of Taipei Houston at Aftershock Festival to chat about their debut album “Once Bit Never Bored,” out now on C3 Records. The brothers are the sons of Metallica legend Lars Ulrich, but are dedicated to making it on their own steam. We discussed their approach to music, how they collaborate on songs, opening for Melvins, their Beatles cover of “Eleanor Rigby,” and much more! Continue reading
We caught up with Thomas Hazelmeyer, owner of the legendary Amphetamine Reptile Records, and as an artist himself under Haze XXL. AmRep not only put out records by Thomas’ band Halo of Flies, but also Helmet, Cows, Helios Creed, Chokebore, Servotron, and brand new album from Melvins, “Bad Mood Rising!” Check out this essential chat!
System Of A Down, Incubus, Korn, Evanescence and Deftones will headline Sick New World Festival, a new music festival in 2023 featuring some of the biggest names in nu-metal. Among the dozens of bands on the bill, it will mark the reunions of both Flyleaf with lacey Sturm and Coal Chamber. The event will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the site of the recent When We Were Young Festival, that was forced to cancel one day of the fest due to high winds.
Purveyors of great underground Metal bands, Black Donut Records, has released A Future of Bad Men: a Melvins Tribute, to one of America’s greatest Sludge and Doom bands, Melvins. With a 250 copy, limited edition release, the album features stalwart bands of the stoner/doom/psychedelic scene such as Night Goat, Grizzlor, Doctor Monster, Olde, Trigger Cut, Frack, Bovine Nightmare, Work Party, and Bondbreakr. Stream the release at Bandcamp and pre-order the vinyl at the link below. Continue reading
Melvins previously announced their new full-length album, the Sludge/Doom rock Bad Moon Rising, released by Amphetamine Reptile Records last month. Until now, the album was only available on vinyl at their live shows, on their current Five-Legged Tour. Now the album has hits DSPs. Melvins typically release albums on Ipecac Recordings, but also dispatch special relelases on AMRep, such as their covers EP earlier in the year, featuring Soundgarden’s “Spoonman”, with guest vocals by Soundgarden/Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron.
With a band name so obscure it’s like they don’t want to be found, a mocking album title and featuring a musical parody of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Mr. Phylzzz (pronounced “Mr Flies”) demonstrate on their latest album Cancel Culture Club (Amphetamine Reptile Records), that they aren’t taking anything too seriously.
Like a deadly, grizzled beast that lurks in the shadows, KEN Mode emerges every few years with a new record, tearing off limbs as it goes, before skulking back into its pit. With September 23rd seeing the release of Null, on Artoffact Records — the band’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Loved — founder and singer/guitarist Jesse Matthewson talks about the new record and what keeps the KEN Mode fires burning. Continue reading