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CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer has broken his silence on the vocal injury that forced him off the road, thanking fans for their support less than a month after the final three dates of his 2026 solo tour were scrapped when he “completely” lost his singing voice to what was described as a severe vocal muscle strain.

Tom addressed the situation directly in a Wednesday, Aug. 26 post on social media, writing, “I can’t express how much your kind words, prayers and well wishes have meant to me over the past few weeks following my vocal injury.

“The injury I sustained requires an extended period of rest, with no singing before being reevaluated. I’m taking things one day at a time and will keep you updated.

“Many thanks to everyone for an amazing tour this year,” he continued. “While the cancellation of the last 3 shows due to my injury was not quite the note we were hoping to end on, #keiferband 2026 was an incredible tour thanks to the energy and enthusiasm you all brought to every show.

“The prayers and encouragement are greatly appreciated and your comments have been truly uplifting… I am determined to -RISE+ and overcome.

“Much love to all”.

The scrapped shows included a July 30 date at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pa., an Aug. 1 festival slot at Rock The Dam in Beaver Dam, Ky., and a previously rescheduled Aug. 3 gig at Warehouse Live Midtown in Houston — itself a makeup date for a June 27 show Tom postponed minutes before stage time due to “sudden illness.”

When the cancellations first broke on July 29, Tom‘s manager, Tim Heyne of Union Entertainment Group, issued a statement on social media: “Unfortunately, Tom Keifer has suffered a severe vocal muscle strain/injury resulting in complete loss of singing voice, forcing the cancellation of the last three upcoming shows of the Keiferband‘s 2026 concert tour. Please contact the venues or ticket services for refunds.

“Canceling any show is the last thing Tom ever wants to see happen. He loves performing for you all and makes every effort to ensure his voice is the best it can be for every show.”

Tom fronted Cinderella on every one of the band’s studio releases, starting with 1986’s Night Songs and 1988’s Long Cold Winter. Two more albums followed before Tom developed vocal paresis, the grunge era hit and the band’s record deal dried up.

Cinderella hasn’t put out new music since 1994’s Still Climbing, though the band reunited for scattered live dates starting in 2010. It has stayed largely dormant in recent years as Tom has poured his energy into solo work.

Back in March 2022, Tom admitted he was “not prepared” for the 2021 death of Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar, who was found dead by his wife inside his Nashville apartment in July 2021 at age 58.

The post TOM KEIFER Breaks Silence On Tour-Ending Vocal Injury: “I’m Taking Things One Day At A Time” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Before amplified music fills the Balve Cave, songs will already be travelling between barbecue fires beneath the open sky. Prophecy Fest 2026 is expanding its visitor-led programme with Campfire Music by Felix Tilemann and the return of Dark Yoga with Caroline Jahnke. The activities reflect the festival’s original concept as a family gathering shared by […]

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Courtney LaPlante has shared a new one take vocal run-though of Spiritbox’s sensational track ‘Keep Sweet’.

The video harks back to the start of the decade when Courtney would often showcase her beautiful and brutal vocals with one-take vocal videos recorded in her owns studio.

This one, though, is made in collaboration with Mixwave as a means of showing off their new plugin suite.

Recorded at Sparrow Sound in Pasadena, California, for those interested in the gear side of things, you can check out how different settings make such a difference throughout different points in the song whilst Courtney is crooning.

For those here for the music, the performance is astonishing. Of course, a track sitting on the more melodic side of the Spiritbox sound, Courtney’s control is still utterly spellbinding, the revealing lyrics all the more poignant and potent in such scarce surroundings.

And whilst we’re here, let’s return to a classic, for some singing then some screaming.

Spiritbox are set to hit the road for a tour of the UK and Europe, with support coming from Jinjer and Dying Wish. Here are the dates:

SEPTEMBER

12 – GLASGOW SECC Hall 3
14 – NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena
16 – MANCHESTER Co-Op Live
17 – CARDIFF Utilita Arena
19 – LONDON OVO Arena Wembley
22 -BERLIN UFO im Velodrom 
23 – GLIWICE Gliwice Arena
25 – PRAGUE Forum Karlin
26 – VIENNA Gasometer
28 – ZURICH Halle 622
29 – MUNICH Zenith
30 – FRANKFURT Jahrhunderthalle

OCTOBER

02 – HAMBURG Sporthalle
03 – AMSTERDAM Afas Live
04 – DUSSELDORF Mitsubishi Electric Halle
06 – LUXEMBOURG Luxembourg Rockhal
08 – ANTWERP Lotto Arena
09 – PARIS La Seine Musicale

The post WATCH: Courtney LaPlante’s Stunning One-Take Vocal Of Spiritbox’s ‘Keep Sweet’ appeared first on Rock Sound.

Maynard James Keenan underwent hip replacement surgery on Wednesday, August 26, and announced it himself the same night — from the hospital. The Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer frontman injured his left hip in Luxembourg on July 3, finished the rest of A Perfect Circle’s European tour in chronic pain with a cane, and has now had the joint replaced with six days to spare before his own surgical deadline.

Between September and Christmas he’s due to play roughly 27 shows in 18 countries with three different bands. He’s cancelling none of them, and the reason he gave is the part worth reading twice.

STREAM THE METAL BREAKDOWN DAILY NOW:

Scott Penfold covers the Maynard news on today’s Metal Breakdown Daily — what actually happened in Luxembourg, the six-day window he had to make the surgery work, and the reason he gave for refusing to postpone anything. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play and get it every weekday morning.

Why he isn’t postponing

Start here, because this is the bit that separates this from every other rock star injury story.

Keenan’s stated reason for going ahead: people have purchased tickets and booked travel and lodging, and most of that is probably nonrefundable.

That’s it. Not “the show must go on” as a slogan, not warrior posturing about playing through pain. A 62-year-old man with a brand new hip working out that if he postpones, a fan in Auckland or Osaka eats the cost of a flight they can’t get back.

Anyone who’s had a tour date moved knows exactly how that goes — the ticket gets honoured and the travel doesn’t. He clearly knows it too.

He did add “the show must go on” at the end, followed immediately by his own reaction to having typed something that corny. Which is about as Maynard as it gets.

What actually happened

The timeline he laid out is worth following, because it’s tighter than it sounds.

July 3. He wakes up in Luxembourg, on tour with A Perfect Circle. Goes to do his morning workout and hike, and his left hip simply refuses. Out of nowhere, in his description, it decided not to work.

The rest of that tour. Finished in pain, with a cane.

After. What he calls frantic phone calls and emails trying to get an answer. Labrum tear? Hip replacement? Sprain? He needed to know fast, because — his words — he has things to do.

The maths. Factoring in recovery time, his absolute cut-off for a hip replacement was September 1. Any later and he wouldn’t be walking, let alone performing, by the time the run started.

August 26. The medical team in Los Angeles got him in. He credits them as wizards who aligned their wands, and thanks them properly.

Six days of margin. On a hip replacement. Before 27 shows.

This is also his second — he had the other hip replaced back in 2015. And for anyone wondering how a man in his sixties wears out two hips: he earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2024, which will do it.

Every date he’s refusing to cancel

Three bands, four continents, September through December.

TOOL September 19 — Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest September 20 — Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life October 4 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock

Puscifer — European and UK tour with Dave Hill October 25 — Stockholm, SWE @ Annexet October 26 — Oslo, NOR @ Konserthus October 28 — Warsaw, POL @ Stodola October 30 — Berlin, GER @ Uber Eats Hall November 1 — Zurich, SWI @ Komplex 457 November 2 — Brussels, BEL @ A/B November 3 — Tilburg, NET @ 013 November 5 — Amsterdam, NET @ Gashouder November 7 — London, UK @ British Airways ARC November 8 — Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy November 9 — Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy November 12 — Dublin, IRE @ The Helix

A Perfect Circle with Puscifer November 25 — Mexico City, MEX @ Estadio Fray Nano November 28 — Buenos Aires, ARG @ Microestadio Argentinos Juniors November 29 — Santiago, CHL @ Hipódromo de Chile December 4 — Adelaide, AUS @ The Drive December 6 — Melbourne, AUS @ Rod Laver Arena December 8 — Brisbane, AUS @ Riverstage December 10 — Sydney, AUS @ Carriageworks December 11 — Sydney, AUS @ TikTok Entertainment Centre December 13 — Auckland, NZ @ Spark Arena December 15 — Tokyo, JPN @ Zepp DiverCity December 17 — Osaka, JPN @ Zepp Bayside December 19 — Honolulu, HI @ Neal S. Blaisdell Arena

Look at the back half of that. Mexico, Argentina and Chile inside five days, then Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Hawaii across a fortnight. That’s a punishing routing for anybody. Three months post-op, it’s something else.

Check Out – Every Tool Album Ranked From “Masterpiece” To “Essential”: Where Does ‘Fear Inoculum’ Truly Land? [Exclusive]

The man does not slow down

Some context on the workload, because it isn’t new.

Keenan has been running three bands simultaneously for over two decades — Tool since 1990, A Perfect Circle since 1999, Puscifer since the early 2000s as what he originally called his creative subconscious.

He told us back in 2024 that he had three bands that needed to write songs and intended to get on with all of them, and by early 2025 he was confirming a new Puscifer album was 90% written with Tool and A Perfect Circle material in progress. That Puscifer record landed this year as Normal Isn’t.

Outside music he runs Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards in Arizona, plus a growing set of hospitality ventures — he name-checked his vinyl cafe and his sushi restaurant in the same hospital post, which tells you where his head is even under anaesthetic.

And this is a man who marked his fiftieth birthday with a two-night collaborative concert featuring three of his bands and Failure sharing a stage, then did a similar thing again for his sixtieth.

Tool’s last album, Fear Inoculum, was 2019. A Perfect Circle’s Eat The Elephant was 2018. Both remain among the most influential records in modern heavy music, and both bands still sell out arenas on catalogue alone.

He could coast. He’s having a hip replaced instead so he doesn’t have to move a date.

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A post shared by MJ Keenan (@iamthebriefcase)

TL;DR

• What happened: Maynard James Keenan underwent hip replacement surgery on August 26, 2026, and announced it himself the same night.
• The injury: his left hip gave out without warning on July 3 in Luxembourg during A Perfect Circle’s European tour. He finished the run in chronic pain using a cane.
• The timing: accounting for recovery, his own cut-off for surgery was September 1. The Los Angeles medical team got him in on August 26 — six days of margin.
• What he’s not doing: cancelling. Roughly 27 shows across 18 countries with Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer run from September 19 through December 19.
• Why: he said fans have bought tickets and booked travel and lodging that’s likely nonrefundable.
• Context: this is his second hip replacement, following one in 2015. He earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2024.

FAQ

Six days of margin on a hip replacement so nobody loses money on a flight to Auckland. That’s a level of professionalism most bands never get near. Which of the three are you catching this year? Tell us below. And keep it locked on the Loaded Radio stream — follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.

The post Maynard James Keenan Had A Hip Replaced Yesterday But Confirms Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer Shows appeared first on Loaded Radio.

A pair of professionally shot performance videos has surfaced from the upcoming concert film Sound & Vision Live, giving fans an early look at the all-star renditions of “War Pigs” and “Shooting Star” captured at this year’s inaugural Palm Springs Sound & Vision Awards. The footage, filmed and edited by Harry Reese, also folds in behind-the-scenes glimpses of rehearsals at GoodNoise Studio and soundcheck at the historic Plaza Theatre, where the March 2 ceremony went down.

The night doubled as a tribute to Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Paul Rodgers and Geezer Butler, and it’s now being immortalized on Sound & Vision Live, a limited-edition, all-star double vinyl set drawn from that evening’s performances. The record was put together by Matt Sorum — Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, Grammy-winning drummer and co-founder of Adopt The Arts Foundation — with proceeds earmarked for music education programs.

Earlier this month, Adopt The Arts Foundation confirmed the album’s release alongside pre-sale details and plans for a record-release celebration and concert film screening, set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs.

The lineup assembled for the tribute reads like a hard rock supergroup: Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company) and Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) were joined onstage by Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Matt Sorum (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), Stevie Salas (Mick Jagger) and Mike Mangan (The Cult), along with Paul Ill (Alicia Keys). Every one of them donated their time for the cause, which supports music instruction in underserved public elementary schools.

Sorum never set out to make a live album out of the evening.

“I never went into that night thinking we were making a record,” said Sorum. “I originally had the show recorded and filmed because I wanted to preserve the experience for myself. But when I listened back, I realized we had captured something truly magical — the energy in the room, the performances, and the spirit of all these incredible artists coming together for the kids. Through Experience Vinyl, we had an opportunity to turn that moment into something people could hold on to while raising meaningful support for music education.”

The first pressing will run 2,000 double-vinyl copies at $99.98 apiece. Of that batch, 250 color-vinyl “Plaza Theatre” collector’s editions carrying exclusive artwork will be reserved for the Sept. 13 event, with the rest handled through Experience Vinyl, whose pre-sale opened Aug. 3.

Experience Vinyl donated its services outright so every dollar from sales flows straight to Adopt The Arts Foundation, while philanthropic backers covered the costs of mixing, mastering and finishing both the album and its companion film.

“Experience Vinyl is about preserving the moments in music that deserve to live beyond a single night,” said Seth Frank, founder of Experience Vinyl. “From the performances to the purpose behind them, Sound & Vision Live is exactly the kind of project we want to help bring into the world. We are proud to donate our work and platform so that proceeds directly support Adopt The Arts and help provide children with access to music education.”

On the technical side, Kemble Walters and Miguel Sosa handled the recording, with Walters mixing at Goodnoise Studios in Palm Springs. Mastering fell to Grammy-winning engineer Howie Weinberg alongside Will Borza, while photographer and creative director Glen Wexler shot the album artwork and put together the liner notes documenting the night and the legacies of Rodgers and Butler.

Executive producers Jackie and Joby Pritzker, along with co-executive producers Dale Lawrence, James Malachowski and Sam Senigaglia, helped bring the project to life.

September 13’s celebration at the Plaza Theatre will feature two screenings of the companion concert film, which weaves the March 2 performances together with rehearsal footage and commentary from Sorum. A 3 p.m. screening is set aside for Palm Springs Unified School District students and their families, followed by a 7 p.m. public screening and release party that includes a live conversation with Sorum and a still-unnamed special guest, plus merchandise and a silent auction benefiting Adopt The Arts.

Founded in 2012 by Sorum and Emmy-winning actress Jane Lynch, Adopt The Arts Foundation now reaches more than 4,000 students a year across Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley, supplying instruments, curriculum, teacher support, artist mentorship and performance opportunities to underserved schools.

“Every artist who stepped onto that stage understood why we were there,” Sorum said. “We came together to celebrate two legends, but the real encore is every child who discovers music because of this record.”

Album information and ordering details are available through Experience Vinyl.

The post COREY TAYLOR, GEEZER BUTLER, NUNO BETTENCOURT & MATT SORUM Team Up For Pro-Shot “War Pigs” Performance Video appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.

Heaven is not the reward in FROZEN CROWN’s latest chapter. It is a place where individuality burns, while Hell becomes a kingdom for those unwilling to conform. That inversion drives “Who Wants to Burn in Heaven,” the Italian heavy power metal band’s new single and official music video. Built around a martial rhythm, heavy guitar […]

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When you think of theatrical, boundary-pushing heavy music, one name immediately commands the global spotlight: In This Moment. Led by the mesmerizing, chameleonic frontwoman Maria Brink and riff-master Chris Howorth, this band has spent nearly two decades turning live alternative metal into a dark, cinematic art form. Now, the Grammy-nominated force is back to claim […]

Release Round Up – August 28th 2026

Every week there is a tidal wave of new music released unto the world. Each Friday we’ll round up some of the best new music available, some we’ve reviewed, some we haven’t, but all worth checking out!

Theres a lot of new heavy music hitting the airwaves this week, everything from black metal, death metal, gothic metal, Stoner rock, doom, thrash metal and even some of your traditional heavy metal!

Here’s what we think you should check out today!

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

One of the most influential bands of the modern era, Mastodon, release ‘Marrow Deep’ via Loma Vista Recordings
“a sumptuous banquet that’s not too rich but offers a myriad of flavours and textures that are utterly cohesive in their diversity.”
Read our full review here.

Chicago-based instrumental trio Russian Circles celebrate their 20th anniversary with latest album ‘Nine’ released via Sargent House.
“‘Nine’ arrives, raises hell, and leaves”
Read our full review here.

Maryland-based death/thrash crew Ninth Realm release ‘Damnation’s Veil’ via Transcending Obscurity Records.
“the bastard offspring of Bolt Thrower, Power Trip and Mercyful Fate”
Read our full review here.

Italian death squad Miscreance release ‘Reminiscence’ via Season of Mist.
“There really aren’t many bands willing to play this fast with the complex songwriting they’ve got on display.”
Read our full review here.

Symphonic metal legends Kamelot release ‘Dark Asylum’ via Napalm Records.
“a solid effort from one of the standard bearers for the genre”
Read our full review here.

French progressive technical death metal force Gorod release ‘The Ember Gone’ via Base Productions/Season of Mist
“by far the most pensive thing they’ve ever done.”
Read our full review here.

Black Door returns more fierce and haunting than ever before with ‘Shadows of a Funerary Gleam’ released on Wolves of Hades.
“mercilessly storm the ramparts and slaughter the wailing unfortunates trapped within.”
Read our full review here.

The monstrous hybrid of twisted, doom-laden brutal death, Static Abyss, release ‘The Dying Hunt’ on Peaceville.
“like being woken from a nightmarish fever dream by someone using a pneumatic drill on your skull!”
Read our full review here.

Rock

Sha-Boom – Another Nail In The Coffin (SIlver Lining Music)
Kickin Valentina – Anthems From the Underground (Mighty Music)
Night Ranger – Best Of (Frontiers Music SRL)
Issa – Fire and Ice (Frontiers Music SRL)
Atomic Rooster – Friday The 13th – The BBC Sessions (Cherry Red Records)
Nephilia – Huldra (Majestic Mountain Records)
Rusty Shackles – Mayfield (Get Folked Records)
Catch Your Breath – Not Broken Enough (Thriller Records)
Anyx – Starlink (La Rubia Producciones)
Kelowna – Superstar (Independent)
Ledmotiv – The Ghost of Carrion (Independent)
Besvarjelsen – Till Glömskan Ad Oblivionem (Magnetic Eye Records)
Dear Youth – Where You Haunt Me : Part 2 [EP] (Adventure Cat Records)

Heavy Metal

A Cold Paradise – A Cold Paradise (Perception)
Walkways – A Reminder (Wild Thing Records)
Lion’s Share – Dark Hours (Metalville)
Blood White – From Hell (Metalville)
Perpetual Paradox – May Misery Befall You [EP] (Bleeding Art Collective)
Triosphere – Oceans Above, Stars Below (Frontiers Music SRL)
Saki – Pluvia (JPU Records)
In This Moment – Witch (SIlver Lining Music)

Black Metal

Sev Lezu – Blood Conscript (Ordovician Records)
Sunscorched – Blood of the Badlands (BÖLVERK COLLECTIVE)
Azgaal – Divine Hitman (Fetzner Death Records)
Hesperia – Picenum (True Marchigian Black Metal Renaissance) (Hammerheart Records)
Larghrana – Silhouettes of Absence [EP] (Independent)
Arkenfrost – Untergang des Kollektivs (Independent)

Death Metal / Death-Doom / Grindcore

Echoes of a Dying World – Revelations [EP] (Independent)
Gorge – Deeds of Horror (Time To Kill Records)
Immiserator – Blight Of Subsistence (Apocalyptic Witchcraft)
Mindwork – Cortex [EP] (Independent)
Projector – Before The Last Light (NB Extreme Recordings)
Rahaty – Bestial Lustmord (Sentient Ruin)
Unholy Redeemer – Journey Beyond Death [EP] (Extremely Rotten Productions)
Xenith – To No Avail (Independent)

Doom / Stoner Rock / Sludge / Psych

Fane – Armageddon Scars (Octopus Rising)
Kulk – Choosing To Die (Church Road Records)
Petrosa – Roadburn Chronicles (Octopus Rising)
Void Moon – The Runes That Bind (Obelisk Polaris Productions)

Metalcore

From Under Concrete Kings – Impulse Tension [EP] (Do Work Productions)
Prevailer – Convalescent (Rottweiler Records)

Thrash Metal

Exumer – Death Mask Messiah (Metal Blade Records)
Rad – Rad To The Bone [EP] (Independent)

… and the rest!

Black Spikes – Ydos (Napalm Records) [Prog Metal]
Sarcoma – Ponzoña (Valley of Death) [Deathcore]
Ütakt – Fight Night (Utukt Records) [Punk]
Vordermann – Feeding on Fireworks [EP] (Independent) [Post-Rock/Rainbow Doom]

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Release Round Up – August 28th 2026 appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

Just like the Kevin Bacon game, try to get to the Melvins within six steps. 

For example: 

Napalm Death → Melvins

(Amateur Hour considering they did an album together)

Frank Sinatra → Bono → U2 → Brian Eno → David Bowie → Pat Smear → Melvins

(Now that is advanced. What’s next? Cannibal Corpse? Iron Maiden? Foo Fighters? Taylor Swift?)

…

An unsuspecting tourist walked past a security guard to ask what was happening at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland, Oregon on August 10. Thinking the guy was expecting news of a salsa lesson or an advanced hemp yarn knitting bonanza, the guard said, “Well, the band got a special dispensation from the city to go ten decibels over the regular limit tonight.” Safe to assume the tourist has never heard of Melvins.

To those outside of metal, the legacy Melvins have built may not be obvious. Having never been a stadium-filling band, they are not a household name. But to those who pay attention, the band is hard to avoid. And most of that has not only to do with longevity, but a willingness to evolve without chasing trends. As Buzz Osborne asserts in the documentary Colossus of Destiny, “I’m trying to make a living and remain true to what I believed in the beginning. And… mission accomplished.”

This is an attitude one can afford if stadiums are not the goal. Not that there is anything wrong with stadiums, but Melvins have said they would rather fill a 2,000-capacity venue than play a half-filled arena. What matters the most is the music and how it hits the audience. Not how the audience hears the music, but how they are hit. One must be willing to take the punch.

It is that devotion to low-end, drop-D tuning, and larger kick drums that forms the bedrock of grunge, with roots in both metal and punk. As the years went by, Melvins started torturing time signatures and linear songwriting to blow past any conventions in their way.

Returning to the August 10th show in Portland, what was immediately obvious in the thunderous opener “Digging the Ditch” is that the addition of the second drummer, Coady Willis, has brought the sonic level to new heights. Many bands have tried it, but Melvins have incorporated the dual drum idea to thrust more air off the stage. Dale Crover and Coady Willis are locked in at all times and the payoff is huge.

And, in true Melvins fashion, the third song of the set would confound many. “Sway,” from the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, might seem like an odd choice for the bosses of bottom end, but Buzz has long declared his admiration for ‘70s era Stones. Of course, it was quite a bit heavier than Mick and Keith. 

But if any in Portland that night had doubts about whether the sound ordinance exception was warranted, the version of “A History of Bad Men” probably annoyed the crap out of anyone trying to buy close at the nearby Nordstroms. 

The closer was one of the most anticipated songs of the set; “Honey Bucket” from the three-album era when they were signed to Atlantic Records. It is probably their most well-known, with its minute-long intro that asks what if Rush had a few too many mezcals and broke into a chainsaw store. And then it settles into a straightforward rock groove that ends, in true punk fashion, less than two minutes later.

…

…

For an encore, Trevor Dunn of Tomahawk (and a ton of other acts) came out to play bass on perhaps the heaviest of all Melvins songs, “Night Goat.” That’s right, two drummers and two bass players. God only knows what would happen with a second guitar player. Don’t count out the possibility, as the Melvins bench is pretty deep with top-notch players willing to contribute. 

With this in mind, collaborations thrive. Not just a song or two live, or playing a similar bill, but cooperative work, as with Napalm Death on Savage Imperial Death March. That album was a true collaboration, to the point that Buzz occasionally forgets who played bass and guitar on which songs. Ultimately, what ends up on the record is what matters. This leads to the most important talent for lasting as long as they have in this business.

…

…

With a career as long as theirs, the skill of being down-to-earth is as important as riffs and volume. Melvins are popular in musical circles not only for sonic influence but for being some of the nicest guys in rock. Bump into a Melvin on the street and he will be polite and friendly. If any bridges have been burned in the last forty years, it wasn’t the guys in this band with the matches.

Continuing this trajectory, pay attention to Gatta Morta, the new collaboration with members of Butthole Surfers, Big Business, and Mr. Phylzzz. While it smells like Melvins, it is not Buzz simply telling other musicians what to play. He is known for being accepting of all ideas. 

As this tour has wrapped up, it is a good time to reflect on a band that has been sledgehammering music in different directions since 1986—and to breathe easy knowing that the next thirty years promise more of the same.

…

…

Posted on August 27th 2026, 3:11pm