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 →
Alice in Chains, when spoken out loud, is understood by all in earshot. Love them or not, every person who says they enjoy rock music in some format knows who they are. One of their finest works was the 1992 classic, Dirt (Columbia Records), which spawned five radio hits, peaked at number six on the Billboard charts, and has sold over five million copies worldwide. Now, twenty-eight years later, the next generation of rock stars have paid tribute to a timeless classic by each taking on a track to cover however they want; thus, was born, Dirt Redux (Magnetic Eye Records).
Zakk Sabbath, led by Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne shredder Zakk Wylde, has an unlikely hit on their hands. Released by the great label Magnetic Eye, known for sick bands, tons of stoner doom original releases, and tribute albums, Vertigo, is a tribute to Black Sabbath’s historic debut album which invented heavy metal and doom metal and turned 50 in 2019. The album, released only in physical versions and without online streams still ranked worldwide on the charts, due to physical sales (Deluxe CD vinyl). The label issued a statement on the release in light of charting., which you can see below. Zakk Sabbath also includes legends of rock and metal such as bassist Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie), and drummer Joey Castillo (Danzig, Queen Of The Stone Age, Bloodclot),
As we celebrate fifty years of Black Sabbath, including the forty-ninth anniversary of their debut album, we are seeing a lot of outpouring of love and respect across music. One really interesting tribute is from mega fan Michael Suilleabhain. Hailing from West Cork, Ireland. By day he is Irish Nuclear Construction Safety Inspector, but by night Michael is a music producer and singer with big dreams. One dream he willed into reality was an all-star tribute to his favorite band, Ninth Star (PHD). Amassing ten former members across every lineup of the band, Emerald Sabbath features Adam Wakeman (Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne), Bev Bevan (Black Sabbath/ELO), Neil Murray (Black Sabbath/Whitesnake), Terry Chimes (Black Sabbath/The Clash), Laurence Cottle (Black Sabbath/The Alan Parsons Project), Ron Keel (Black Sabbath/Ron Keel Band), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell), Dave Walker (Black Sabbath/Fleetwood Mac), Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath/Rainbow), Tony Martin (Black Sabbath/Headless Cross), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne/Whitesnake) and The English Chamber Choir. Other Emerald Sabbath contributors include Will Malone and Mike Lewis (Sabotage/Technical Ecstasy) Mike Exeter (Black Sabbath/Judas Priest), Jeremy J. Lewis (Headless Cross), Mike Lewis (‘She’s Gone’) Skaila Kang (Royal Academy Of Music) as well as Sabbath album graphic designers Richard Manning and Colin Elgie (Technical Ecstasy) and Hugh Gilmour (Born Again). It’s an impressive feat to have united these forces for this album, but do they pass muster. Continue reading →
Helmet will go down as one of the greatest and most influential bands ever. This fact is undisputed. Coming out of new York City at a time when a generation of bands bred on New York Hardcore values married to the talent of thrash bands (with some general avant-garde weirdness for good measure), Helmet stood out like a sore thumb of weirdness. Continue reading →
