“It was a really wonderful celebration that Metallica put together that so many fans came out to, and I thought it was a really beautiful thing…”
The post Anthrax’s Frank Bello On The Big Four: “I Would Love To Do It Again, I’ll Put It Out There” appeared first on Theprp.com.
Here, at Stereogum, we already love Friko. But today, they’ve given us a reason to love them even more via the new single “Necessary.” Earlier this year they released their killer Something Worth Waiting For, which placed near the top of our list of this year’s best LPs so far. Now they’re letting us have more of that glorious album’s world. They’ve announced an expanded version, coming Sept. 11 via ATO Records.
The post Friko – “Necessary” appeared first on Stereogum.
Who’s ready for some emo that’s not afraid to writhe around in the pop-punk muck? Some ultra-catchy pop-rock, charged with angst and charging forward with anthemic energy? That’s what you’ll get from “Joyce Kilmer Service Area,” the lead single from wakelee’s new album under construction forever.
The post wakelee Announce New Album <em>under construction forever</em>: Hear “Joyce Kilmer Service Area” appeared first on Stereogum.
14th August 2026
Support: Exorcism
Words & Photos: Tim Finch
The Asylum in Birmingham was set for an evening of uncompromising extreme metal as Brazilian death metal force Crypta brought their current tour to town, with Exorcism opening proceedings. With a room hotter than hell, the walls dripping in sweat, the anticipation of a healthy dose of old-school aggression, the night promised plenty for fans of the heavier end of the metal spectrum
Exorcism wasted little time in setting the tone for the evening. Opening with ‘Slaughtered Faith’ before launching into ‘Strike The Match’ and ‘Lost In the Dark’, they delivered a direct and aggressive attack that immediately got the room moving. ‘Lobotomiser’, ‘Spectral Aggression’ and ‘Godless’ kept the intensity high, with the band pulling off a clear affection for the thrashier side of extreme metal.
The second half of Exorcism’s set was every bit as forceful, with ‘Tomb of the Ancients’, ‘Secrets of the Past’ and the classic ‘Bonded By Blood’ bringing their appearance to a suitably destructive conclusion.
When Crypta finally took to the stage, the change in atmosphere was immediate. ‘The Outsider’ opened the set with a vicious burst of death metal before’ Lullaby for the Forsaken’ and ‘Death Arcana’ pushed the intensity even further. Fernanda Lira’s vocals and intense stare cut through the crowd as the rhythm section maintained a relentless pace. ‘I Resign’ and ‘The Other Side of Anger’ followed, with the crowd responding enthusiastically.
There was barely a moment to catch your breath as ‘Poisonous Apathy’, ‘Stronghold’, ‘Under the Black Wings’ and ‘Dark Clouds’ kept the momentum firmly in place. Crypta’s live performance has a physicality that makes the material feel even more imposing than it does on record. ‘Trial of Traitors’ and ‘Lord of Ruins’ were particularly effective, giving the crowd two more opportunities to throw themselves into the chaos unfolding in front of them.
By the time ‘From the Ashes’ brought the evening to a close, Crypta had delivered a performance that left little doubt about their status as one of modern death metal’s most compelling live acts. The set was and the band produced an atmosphere to keep the fans engaged to the end.
Photo credits: Tim Finch
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
The post Live Review: Crypta – Birmingham appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
14th August 2025
Support: Exorcism
Photos: Tim Finch
We look back at the epic Crypta show through the eyes of our photographer Tim Finch!
Photo credits: Tim Finch
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
The post Live Gallery: Crypta – Birmingham appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
That song received its live debut in Minneapolis, MN ten years ago today.
The post Metallica Launch Newly Recut Live Video For “Hardwired” In Celebration Of Its 10th Anniversary appeared first on Theprp.com.
Guitarist Nita Strauss is returning to the stage this weekend to kick off her seventh season performing at Los Angeles Rams NFL games, continuing one of the most recognizable partnerships between rock music and professional sports.
This season also brings some extra energy as Josh Villalta — Strauss‘ husband, manager, and drummer — will be performing at the games by her side.
A drummer and performer in his own right, Villalta has spent years sharing stages with Strauss while also playing an integral role as manager behind the scenes in her career. His new role as drummer brings another live music element to the Rams‘ game day experience and puts the longtime musical duo side by side on one of the biggest stages in professional sports.
“To be brought in this year is an incredible honor. The Rams organization has been amazing to Nita and me over the years, so having the opportunity to officially join her makes this even more special. I’m excited to bring a new element to the game day experience. I have some cool ideas in mind, and I can’t wait for the fans to see and hear what we bring to the stadium this season.”
Strauss has become a defining musical presence at Rams home games over the past seven seasons, bringing her high-octane performances to one of the NFL‘s biggest stages. Her tenure with the organization has included the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI championship and her own Super Bowl ring.
“There’s only one thing better than playing your hometown stadium, and that’s doing it with your partner by your side. Josh takes every live performance to another level and I’m so excited for the fans at Sofi to get to experience it! Can’t wait to rock the Rams House together!”
Widely regarded as one of the premier guitarists of her generation, Strauss‘ career includes a #1 song at rock radio, more than 11 million streams across her solo catalog, worldwide magazine covers, signature instruments and products with Ibanez, D’Addario, Levy’s and DiMarzio, and a résumé that includes Alice Cooper, Demi Lovato and WWE.
The 2026 season comes during an already unforgettable year for Strauss and Villalta, who welcomed their son, Maxwell, in June. Now, the longtime musical partners and new parents will add another first as they take the Rams field together.
Catch Nita Strauss and Josh Villalta live this Saturday, August 22, as the Los Angeles Rams take on the New Orleans Saints in the home opener at SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 pm PT.
In the immortal words of Hank Williams Jr.: “Are you ready for some football?:
The post NITA STRAUSS Returns For Seventh Season Performing With “The Los Angeles Rams” And JOSH VILLALTA Officially Joins On Drums appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
A year ago to the day, the metal community tragically lost Brent Hinds. Three weeks from now, metalheads can observe a joyous anniversary involving Hinds: Blood Mountain turns 20. The convergence of these anniversaries must be disorienting for the remaining members of Mastodon, who recently released a tribute to their fallen brother. In the video, Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, and Troy Sanders narrate the rise and fall of their camaraderie with Hinds, culminating in a public dispute after his dismissal from the band. Watching old studio footage of his deceased bandmate recording Blood Mountain, however, puts Dailor in a happier mood; he claims Hinds was reaching the height of his creative powers on album three.1 I snagged a copy of Blood Mountain from Best Buy the day it dropped, and it quickly presaged for me the metal giant Mastodon could become. Only now can I appreciate the giant within the giant.
Like most Mastodon fans, I eagerly anticipated Blood Mountain. The “March of the Fire Ants” video on Headbanger’s Ball introduced me to the band, and Leviathan convinced me that these Atlantans were running perpendicular to the New Wave of American Heavy Metal (NWOAHM) they were lumped into. Signing to Reprise Records put major pressure on the band, which they mitigated by keeping Matt Bayles behind the board.2 Mastodon ended up following Leviathan with another concept album, this time with originality: a protagonist ascends the titular mountain to crown its peak with a crystal skull, facing physical, psychological, and mythical tribulations along the way.3 Upon finally hearing it, Blood Mountain struck me as a step up for the band. Kelliher’s off-kilter guitar work felt more consistent, Sanders’s bass choices felt more impactful, and Dailor’s drum-kit clinic felt more purposive. But the album also struck me as structurally similar to Leviathan. An early lyric in “The Wolf is Loose”—when a screaming Hinds likens the protagonist’s predicament to ‘the belly of the whale’—seemed to confirm this similitude.
It was obvious, however, that Blood Mountain’s vocals separated it from previous outings. A making-of documentary shows Hinds exhausted by the lengthier recording process yet energized by the unique blending of his voice with Sanders’s.4 If “The Wolf is Loose” and “Crystal Skull” loosely mimic Leviathan’s raucous opening, Mastodon distinguish Blood Mountain’s one-two punch through Hinds’s voice, shifting between scathing snarls, creepy whispers, and soulful croons. On melodic centerpiece “Colony of Birchmen,” Hinds warbles eerie verses and belts a powerful post-chorus with posthumously poignant lyrics (‘Gone away / My heart’s gone away / Taking everything’). And “This Mortal Soil,” the prog-rock curveball, contains one of Hinds’s most moving choruses. The NWOAHM left me callous to the harsh/clean vocals formula, and Hinds himself jokes that Mastodon sold out with their singsongy major label premiere. Despite my NWOAHM skepticism, Blood Mountain didn’t strike me as vocally formulaic. Hinds’s voice in particular gave Mastodon a weirdo quality that had the band riding its own wave.
Hinds is primarily a guitarist, though, and Blood Mountain contains some of his most expressive playing. He does, of course, lay down tasty solos (“Crystal Skull,” “Colony of Birchmen”). But for my money, Blood Mountain soars when Hinds adds melodic color to kinetic jams with Kelliher, Sanders, and Dailor. The frenetic bridge in “Capillarian Crest” comes to mind, as does freak-out instrumental “Bladecatcher.” Closer “Pendulous Skin” shows Hinds at his most singular on Blood Mountain, guitar-wise. He cites Led Zeppelin as an influence, and it’s hard not to hear the song’s roving acoustic chords as Stairwavian, its solo as Pagean. With “Pendulous Skin,” it’s almost as if the rest of Mastodon handed off Blood Mountain to Hinds, confident he could craft a classic conclusion.5
Blood Mountain stands as a transition between the sludgsterpiece of Leviathan and the more palatable Mastodon to come. Calling it simply a ‘transition album,’ however, would be unjust. Standing tall on its own, Blood Mountain showed me something familiar yet new in 2006—in hindsight, Hinds was responsible for much of this invigorating novelty. Indeed, the album’s classic- and prog-rock flashes excited me for the band’s future. Speaking of the future, Mastodon will be releasing Marrow Deep, their first album without Hinds, a week from now. Today is the day to mourn the loss of a metal giant, and August 28th will be the day to see what Mastodon can create without this giant. September 12th, however, will be the day to celebrate Hinds’s giant contributions: to one of Mastodon’s finest albums and to metaldom more broadly.
The post Yer Metal Is Olde: Mastodon – Blood Mountain appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.