Category: news

A counterculture icon with broad appeal, he compared himself to Bob Dylan and developed an especially fervent following among working-class youth.

You would think after having a sack ripped out of my face, having my computer break down, my phone stop working, and almost losing a family member, that the nerves in my body would be like shredded newspaper at this point. I’m still here though, and I’m still making music! Stress has a funny way of trying to manipulate you. At its core, stress is no more than a bee buzzing around your face, avoiding your every attempt to swat it away. Once it stings you, and that venom starts coursing through your veins, it can be hard to deter its effects. I suppose I should at least try to explain some of the madness I’ve dealt with over the past few weeks, if nothing more than as an exercise in releasing some of these thoughts out into the world so I can possibly be rid of them once and for all.

The face thing has been a nuisance for years, decades even, with a small little bump appearing on my cheek that my best friend, and now wife, used to love popping occasionally. After some time, it dawned on me that popping this twisted little pustule might not be the best idea, so I had the bright idea to go to a doctor and figure out how to get rid of it. Obviously, I was prepared for some form of excision, a process I am no stranger to, having had plenty of cysts removed before, but I was not prepared for the recovery phase afterwards when I was told to avoid smiling so as not to tear the stitches. Now, as someone who is somewhat known for his maniacal laugh and smile that rivals the Joker’s most disturbing, demented grin, this proved to be somewhat difficult. On top of all that, the doctor made sure to remind me not to do anything that would raise my blood pressure for a few days so my scar could have a better chance at healing. This was when my phone decided it would be a great time to stop working.

Arriving at the Apple Store for a repair that I was told would take an hour, only to find it was going to take five hours, was enough to make the massive bandaid on my face start folding at the seams, but that wasn’t what quite sealed the deal on my stress for the day. It was the long trip back when I realized I didn’t have my wallet with me, and they refused to give me my phone back because they couldn’t confirm it was me without an ID, even though I had literally just been there, and it’s quite hard to forget a goofy-looking jackass with a giant bandaid on his face. Nonetheless, they reviewed the security camera footage and confirmed it was me. Then, before sending me packing, they slipped in the fact that they couldn’t activate my newly repaired phone, and that I had to travel to a Verizon store for that process. This is when I started hearing echoes of my doctor saying, “Make sure you don’t do anything to raise your blood pressure for a few days!” swirling around my head like the clown that tormented Bart Simpson: “If you should die before you wake!” Thankfully, my inner nerd took over, and I was able to set up the phone myself by calling an automated Verizon support line and figured everything out.

As for the computer, I’ll admit I’m not the type of guy to buy shitloads of gear every time the latest, greatest tech arrives on store shelves. I tend to buy once, cry once. Spend a lot up front on something that will last me a long time. This was the case with my last computer, a 2017 5K iMac that I bought fully loaded at the time, and has gotten me through some amazing creative catastrophes. Unfortunately, Apple, in their infinite wisdom, decided this machine was obsolete and stopped supporting updates. Not to mention, anything I’ve tried doing with it video-wise was like trying to race a Porsche while driving a riding lawn mower. It was clearly time to upgrade, but the current state of the computer industry has its balls in a vice due to an ongoing memory shortage. So I couldn’t just go to the Apple Store and buy a new computer that would arrive in a day or two. Shipping was now pushed out for months with new computers, but the refurbished store on Apple’s website has always been a bastion of hope for me, so I set up alerts and notifications there to see if anything popped up. Lo and behold, I was able to secure a new Mac Studio along with a Mac Studio Display to go with it, and as I type this lovely article that two people will read on a machine horribly overpowered for what I do, I couldn’t be happier.

On the subject of happiness, and I won’t dive into too much detail on the next topic, as I feel family stuff should remain somewhat private when it deals with those outside my day-to-day circle. I’ll just say that I am extremely grateful and happy that things took a turn for the best in that department. We had a close call that scared the living shit out of everyone, but for the most part, it all tempered down, and things seem to be in a manageable state. Quite the opposite from when shit hit the fan, and we all thought we were going to lose someone incredibly important to us all. This is where hope rewards faith, and you are reminded of just how fragile and incredibly fleeting all these moments are. Perspective helps navigate them in the future, but when you are in the midst of such stress and turmoil, you can easily lose sight of not just where you are going, but who you truly are deep down.

Not only am I thankful for the family I have, but also the friends both on and offline who helped me get through all of this. Not by any intentional means, but rather the smaller, trivial moments where a text or two would be enough to kick my brain out of misery and into a better place, even if for a few seconds. Those little pieces certainly help ease the burden of life’s many unimaginable challenges, just as it does when I pick up a guitar and let my fingers express what’s buried deeper in my soul that words could never touch. Which is where I’m at now, as I continue to chip away at the next Autumns Eyes album. An entry that is certain to please fans of “Ending Life Slowly” and bring back the Halloween vibes that warm all of our haunted little hearts. So until then, stay tuned, stay in touch, and if shit is hitting your fan as it did mine, reach out to someone for a bit of distraction. It’s such a curious thing how distraction can help us focus, but it really does work in those cases. Unless, of course, my new phone and computer shit the bed next week, in which case all of this goes out the window. Fingers crossed!

The post Sunshine, Stress, & Summer Scars appeared first on Autumns Eyes.

Still hard to believe he’s gone.

The post New Memorial For Brent Hinds (Ex-Mastodon) Featured At The Intersection Of His Fatal Motorcycle Crash appeared first on Theprp.com.

Sharon Osbourne joined Metallica in London one year after “Back to the Beginning,” as the band honored Ozzy Osbourne with a performance of “Electric Funeral.”

The post Metallica Quietly Meets With Sharon Osbourne on Back to the Beginning Anniversary appeared first on Audio Ink Radio.

Among the increasing number of bands who’ve headlined their own concert cruise, 311 are veterans. The genre-melding rockers have been working with maritime music festival promoter Sixthman since 2011, and today they announced the latest iteration of their 311 Caribbean Cruise. From March 10-15, 2027, the boat will travel to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman before returning back to its starting point of Miami. Besides Nick Hexum and crew, the lineup offers artists such as the Pharcyde, Little Stranger, Ballyhoo!, Bumpin Uglies, the Skints, and RDGLDGRN. Crucially, it also features Jeff Rosenstock.

The post Jeff Rosenstock Booked For 311 Cruise 12 Years After His Petition appeared first on Stereogum.

Including The Pharcyde, Little Stranger, Ballyhoo! and more.

The post 311 Announce Full Lineup For Their 2027 ‘311 Caribbean Cruise’ appeared first on Theprp.com.

Inside the setlists from Metallica's epic M72 World Tour, which recently wrapped up after nearly three years since its first show. Continue reading…

Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine & more also snagged top spots.

The post SiriusXM ‘Lithium’ Listeners Voted Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Etc. Among ‘The Top 250 90s Alternative & Grunge Songs Of All Time’ appeared first on Theprp.com.

https://www.metalourgio.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Megadeth-e1755186994656-768×486.jpg

Finnish power rockers Sonata Arctica and German heavy metal veterans Rage will join forces in spring 2027 for a co-headlining tour around Europe. For the first time in their history, the Finns will be accompanied by an orchestra throughout the entire touring run. Rage will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their album Lingua Mortis.
Read more…