The controversial Pantera reunion has hit its first major roadblock as two of Europe’s biggest festivals have decided to remove the band from their lineups.
Organizers for the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals, both of which take place in Nürburgring and Nürnberg from June 2 to June 4, have decimated Pantera from their lineups. The announcement was made Monday evening on the festivals’ Twitter accounts.
“The band Pantera will not perform at Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring 2023 as announced.”
This allegedly comes from an incident in 2016 when Phil Anselmo attended a “Dimebash” event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood. The event was to honor “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, but quickly became marred in controversy when video came out of Anselmo apparently saying “white power” and making a Nazi salute during the performance of “A New Level.”
The festivals, which take place June 2-4 in Nürburgring and Nürnberg, will feature appearances from Rise Against, Limp Bizkit, Kings Of Leon, Tenacious D, Bring Me The Horizon, Machine Gun Kelly and many more.
Pantera’s reunion – featuring original members Phil Anselmo on vocals and Rex Brown on bass, with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Bentate filling in on guitar and drums respectively – has proven to reveal very divisive reactions from fans. Many are delighted at the opportunity to see classic Pantera tracks played live once again, while others remain cynical at the idea of any kind of Pantera tour taking place without the presence of the much-missed Abbott brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, the latter of whom was vocally against a Pantera reunion before his death in 2018.
This week, the legendary Pink Floyd announced a special 50th anniversary reissue box set of the Dark Side of The Moon. To launch the new box set, the band shared an updated version of the art for the album as their official Facebook profile picture. It sees the prism with ’50’ written inside it. Within the ‘0’ is the colours of the rainbow, calling back to the original ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ artwork. However, some fans saw the new profile picture as a statement of advocacy for the LGBTQ+ movement, and shared their anger at what they believed was a “woke” move.
The iconic 1973 Dark Side Of The Moon album features a prism refracting a rainbow on the cover. This was one of Pink Floyds famous albums of all time. The design was featured on shirts, posters, stickers and many other items. Apparently a large group of people are confused and angry over the new anniversary album reissue design and are accusing the band of going full woke and want Pink Floyd cancelled.
“Lose the rainbow, you’re making yourself look stupid!” comments an angry fan on Facebook.
“Sad to see a band that was once great has gone full WOKE!!!.” writes another fan. “I loved your music before, NOT LISTENING NOW!”
“What is the connection between pink Floyd master piece & LGBT ??? WTF….” says another.
“Are you going woke with rainbows?” another angry fan added. “Is there a straight flag? I want equal representation, don’t get me wrong, we should all be true to who we are.”
In response, a number of Floyd fans laughed at the misguided anger, with one writing in the comments section:
“I thought it was a joke and had to come see for myself. Are people really having tantrums over the rainbow that has ALWAYS been there in that cover?”
Another added: “You know you’re homophobic when you get mad at the rainbow that has always been Pink Floyd’s logo. It shines out of the triangle; represents the start of life and all the paths taken and influences over a lifetime.”
https://m.facebook.com/pinkfloyd?fref=nf
The furor from the right over the 50th anniversary post by Pink Floyd as “going woke with rainbows” is peak MAGA ignorance. It’s a prism of their own making, as it were. pic.twitter.com/MJp2B8cxx9
Wait, people are upset about @pinkfloyd 's 50th anniversary cover album, because there's a rainbow in it and it's somehow "woke"? Do they not recall the 1973 album cover? It's a prism. pic.twitter.com/W7g8fDT8vR
The new ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ box set will arrive days after the 50th anniversary of its UK release (which was on March 16, 1973) on March 24 and will celebrate the seminal record through a newly remastered version of the original release. The reissue will feature a CD and gatefold vinyl of the album, plus Blu-Ray and DVD audio featuring the original 5.1 mix and remastered stereo versions.
In addition, it will also include another Blu-Ray disc of Atmos mix plus CD and LP of ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon – Live At Wembley Empire Pool, London, 1974’. The live recording will also be released independently on CD and vinyl on the same day as the box set, marking the first time it will be available as a standalone album.
A book titled Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon: 50th Anniversary will also arrive on March 24. Curated by photographer Jill Furmanovsky and created in collaboration with the band, it will feature rare and previously unseen photos taken during the Dark Side Of The Moon tours between 1972 and 1975.
If any death metal band is a household name these days, it’s Cannibal Corpse. While Cannibal Corpses1988 formation came a few years after the genre began to take shape folowing bands like Possessed and Death, they are nevertheless a quintessential death metal band. Their down-tuned riffs, growling vocals, and horror-film-obsessed lyrics provide a blueprint for American death metal. Theres also a lot of interesting stories surrounding the band. Here are a few ‘fun’ facts.
Cannibal Corpse are the top selling death metal band in history (according to the records of Soundscan) They are the first death metal group to have platinum status in the world.
Because of various complaints from teachers and parents who claimed Cannibal Corpse would be dangerous to children due to their cover art and lyrical content the band were not allowed to play any song from the first three albums live in Germany until 2007.
The song “Hammer Smashed Face” was written by Alex Webster and Paul Mazurkiewicz, after one of their countless fights with their vocalist, Chris Barnes.
In the 2003 film School of Rock, a large Cannibal Corpse sticker is visible in Dewey Finn’s sleeping area.
Comedian Andrew Hansen of ABC’s Chaser’s War on Everything made a lounge jazz arrangement of Cannibal Corpse’s song “Rancid Amputation” after the Australian government banned the band’s touring of the country.
In May 1995, then-United States Senator Bob Dole mentioned the band by name and accused them of violating human decency.
Cannibal Corpse NEVER did a “duet” with Tori Amos on “Stripped, Raped, and Strangled”. This was a rumor started by filesharing. The “Stripped, Raped, and Strangled” Tori Amos mix is a joke that someone uploaded to filesharing networks after overdubbing Cannibal Corpse’s song with anti-rape comments made by Tori Amos.
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher is an active player of the MMORPG World of Warcraft, claiming that aside from his family it is probably his strongest passion. In the liner notes of the booklet for Cannibal Corpse’s 2006 album ‘Kill’ he goes so far as to write “Fuck The Alliance!” – referencing the rival clan to his Horde character in the game.
George Fisher does guest appearances in the animated series Metalocalypse where he voices the Metal Masked Assassin. He was also the inspiration for the character Nathan Explosion, the lead vocalist for Dethklok. Nathan shares a similar physical appearance to George, headbangs in a windmill fashion, and was also born in Florida, although Fisher was born in Baltimore and moved to Florida later in life.
Blizzard Entertainment implemented a non-player character named “Gorge the Corpsegrinder” into World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King after George Fisher’s interest in the game was revealed in interviews.
George Fisher is a fan of the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Cowboys.
The band’s 2009 release, Evisceration Plague, cracked the Billboard Top 100, peaking at #66. It also reached #6 on the Top Independent Albums chart, making for three sixes.
Before joining, Corpsegrinder was the original vocalist for Monstrosity, performing on their first two records, Imperial Doom and Millennium, the latter of which was released just a few months after Vile. He also has done numerous guest appearances for other extreme metal bands, and is a member of the deathrash supergroup Voodoo Gods and a former member of melodeath band Paths of Possession.
Pat O’Brien was actually a promoted fanboy. He was a huge fan of Cannibal Corpse well before he joined.
The physical releases of Violence Unimagined feature a dedication note to Mazurkiewicz’s father, Paul Mazurkiewicz Sr., who had died two years before the album’s release.
Jim Carrey has a favourite Cannibal Corpse song. Cannibal Corpse hit the big screen in 1994, with a surprising guest cameo in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Turns out Jim Carrey is a fan; the band play “Hammer Smashed Face” in the flick (look closely to see the guys from Malevolent Creation in the audience during the clip). “I remember when we met Jim Carrey, he was talking about “Rancid Amputation” [off Butchered at Birth],” says drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. “To this day, for us, it’s like, ‘Man, did that happen?’ Surreal.” As mentioned in the band’s Centuries of Torment DVD, Jim Carrey is also a fan of the bands AC/DC, Deicide, Napalm Death, and Pantera.
When Pat O’Brien was investigated following an arrest police found multiple firearms and human skulls in his home.
December of this year George Corpse grinder Fischer played the role of Santa scoring a plethora of stuffed animals from the Walmart claw game to donate to charity. Along with photos of him with armfuls of plush toys, the singer wrote, “The last two trips to my local Walmart … have been very productive!
Megadeth has released the scorching new video “Chapter V: Killing Time”, the latest track from the band’s explosive new album, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!”
This marks the fifth installment of a multi-part short film revealing the origins of villainous protagonist Vic Rattlehead. The legendary thrash band has released the final part in what the band has been calling the Vic Rattlehead trilogy of music videos.
We follow our protagonist Vic Rattlehead with a Rattlehead army in combat in order to get to the fat man with a cigar (pseudo villain) and get him to release the mysterious woman (Rattleheads wife?) who saved his life and transformed him. The entire video series follows the backstory of Vic, as he makes his third appearance in the video trilogy in a five part series. In Vic’s quest, we get a dystopian-matrix-esque train fight scene. Vic’s fighting is vengeful and The video in itself almost is not like a current day war time aspect but more of an early nineteenth century feel, mostly because of how Vic appears (weaponry and clothing) and the environment in which the battles take place. The dark and gloomy aspect of the video gives you the impression of a vile power that intends to cause chaos and destruction. There are glimpses of the band playing, but Dave is predominantly seen throughout the course of the video.The song itself is well done. I’ve really enjoyed the new album. Megadeth really put a lot of effort into it and they didn’t let the removal of Ellefson affect anything. The videos really put an extension onto how well-written and thought provoking the album is.
Megadeth’s sixteenth studio album sees founder Dave Mustaine working alongside co-producer Chris Rakestraw (Danzig, Parkway Drive), who together oversaw 2016’s “Dystopia.”
Megadeth’s The Sick, The Dying…And The Dead!:
The Sick, The Dying…And The Dead!
Life In Hell
Night Stalkers (feat. Ice T)
Dogs of Chernobyl
Sacrifice
Junkie
Psychopathy
Killing Time
Soldier On!
Celebutante
Missin to Mars
We’ll Be Back
Police Truck
The Planet’s On Fire [Burn In Hell] (feat. Sammy Hagar)
The Sick, The Dying…And The Dead! is available and can be picked up here: available via Universal.
Dave and the guys on the road opening up for Five Finger Death Punch at any of the following dates.
Fri Sep 2 – Houston, TX –The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman [tickets] Tue Sep 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion [tickets] Wed Sep 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek [tickets] Fri Sep 9 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach [tickets] Sat Sep 10 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live [tickets] Mon Sep 12 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater [tickets] Wed Sep 14 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center [tickets] Thu Sep 15 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion [tickets] Sat Sep 17 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater [tickets] Sun Sep 18 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center [tickets] Tue Sep 20 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview [tickets] Wed Sep 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake** [tickets] Fri Sep 23 – Scranton, PA – Pavilion at Montage Mountain [tickets] Sat Sep 24 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium [tickets] Tue Sep 27 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater** [tickets] Wed Sep 28 –Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center [tickets] Fri Sep 30 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater [tickets] Sat Oct 1 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center [tickets] Tue Oct 4 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center [tickets] Wed Oct 5 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre [tickets] Fri Oct 7 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds [tickets] Sat Oct 8 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater [tickets] Mon Oct 10 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre [tickets] Wed Oct 12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP [tickets] Fri Oct 14 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena [tickets] Sat Oct 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater [tickets]
A Deubenton’s bat. (K-Kucharska_D-Kucharski/GeorgeCorpsegrinderFisher death metal vocalist for Cannibal Corpse iStock/Getty Images Plus
Bats are a prominent part of modern folklore. We imagine them as the transformed bodies or souls of dead people who are not at peace and who prowl the night sucking the blood of human victims. Besides looking cool and being creatures of the night its now discovered that bats growl like death metal singers to communicate with each other. What exactly they are saying is not known but we can use our imaginations.
When a musician sings in death metal growls they move their false vocal folds so they oscillate with the vocal folds, which makes them “heavy and therefore they vibrate at very low frequencies” explains Jonas Håkansson first author of the study.
Researchers do not yet know the meaning of all their sounds and songs, but they are learning more and more about how all these sounds are made.
Now a new study in the journal PLOS Biology reports that for some sounds, bats use the same technique as human death metal singers and throat singing members of the Tuva people in Siberia and Mongolia. The study comes from a research team at University of Southern Denmark, led by Professor Coen Elemans, Department of Biology. The team has for the first time filmed what goes on in a bat’s larynx when it produces sound.
Five larynxes from Daubenton’s bats were extracted, mounted and filmed while applying air flow to mimic natural breathing. The high-speed videos shows vocal membranes and false vocal folds vibrating at different frequencies.
Growling sounds are often produced when bats fly in or out from a densely packed roost. The researchers do not know for sure, what a growling bat intends to communicate, when it uses its false vocal folds to produce low sounds in the range of 1 to 5 kHz.
Vampire or death metal act, we think bats are pretty metal!
KNEBWORTH, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 31: Perttu Kivilaakso (L) and Eicca Toppinen of Finnish symphonic metal group Apocalyptica, performing live on stage at Sonisphere Festival on July 31, 2010 at Knebworth House. (Photo by Kevin Nixon/Classic Rock Magazine/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Apocalyptic Getty Images
Did you know there’s a holiday dedicated to this form of metal? If you didn’t, then allow us to introduce you to Symphonic Metal Day. This day is observed every 13th of November and is the perfect day for people to discover, or rediscover, this subgenre of metal. This is a day set aside to celebrate the combination of classical orchestral arrangements and heavy metal music that has grown in popularity over the last few decades. Symphonic metal, also known as opera metal or operatic metal originated in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. This genre of music is one of the many subsets of heavy metal music. Symphonic metal bands frequently feature classically trained musicians, because of the heavy influence of classical music on the genre.
HISTORY OF SYMPHONIC METAL DAY
Symphonic Metal Day is demarcated to celebrate the genre-crossing and innovative nature of symphonic metal music, a subgenre of heavy metal music.
From it’s earliest days Symphonic Metal has felt the influence of power metal, gothic music, and a style known as the new wave of British heavy metal. The characteristics associated with this style of music include keyboards and guitars, strings and choirs, pipe organs and drums all mixed together. In many cases, the style will be emulated through a keyboard synth rather than a live orchestra when such is not available. The guitar styles present in almost all examples of this work call on all backgrounds of metal, from death metal to gothic, power metal to progressive, all blended together in a beautiful orchestration. The sound is usually very atmospheric and the performances are just as theatrical.
This music originated in Finnish and Scandinavian culture. The earliest known example of this style of music is by Celtic Frost in 1987, and who were important influences on many who would come to pioneer this style. Some of the most influential bands in this genre include Nightwish, Haggard, Edenbridge, Therion, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Epica, Apocalyptica and many more.
Heavy metal is itself a genre of rock music that has its roots in blues rock, acid rock, and psychedelic rock. The characteristics of heavy metal include loudness, emphatic sounds, distortions, heavy beats, and extended guitar solos. The most famous pioneers of heavy metal are Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Deep Purple.
Heavy metal continued to evolve over the decades as it picked up and discarded influences from different kinds of music depending on where the sub-genre originated. Among these sub-genres was glam metal which originated with Bon Jovi in New Jersey, and thrash metal with Los Angeles bands like Metallica and Megadeth.
How To Celebrate Symphonic Metal Day
Symphonic Metal Day is best celebrated by filling your day with your favorite symphonic bands, and then expanding beyond that to bands you have not yet heard. Then you can share your favourite bands with friends and co-workers, introducing them to this wonderful experience and all the power and meaning it entails.
Heres a list of top 10 quintessential symphonic metal songs in no particular order:
Earlier this year the metal community was devastated from the loss of The Black Dahlia Murders Trevor Strnad. Luckily we get to see him once more as he performs in Chelsea Grins new video “Forever Bloom,” which was released yesterday by the Salt Lake City metallers.
The new track which features the late singer. Chelsea Grin guitarist Stephen Rutishouser said the new track is a tribute to metal’s origins and its less serious beginnings.
All of this is in support of the band’s forthcoming double LP, Suffer in Hell. The first disc will release globally on November 11, while the second disc titled Suffer in Heaven will com out in March 17, 2023. Both are currently available via preorder, with a limited edition vinyl variant of only 50 copies produced.
The track listings for the two releases are as follows:
SUFFER IN HELL TRACK LISTING: “Origin of Sin“ “Forever Bloom” (Featuring Trevor Strnad) “Deathbed Companion” “Crystal Casket” “Flood Lungs” “The Isnis“ “Mourning Hymn” “Suffer In Hell, Suffer In Heaven”
SUFFER IN HEAVEN TRACK LISTING: “Leave With Us” “Orc March” “Fathomless Maw” “Soul Slave” “The Mind of God” “Yhorm the Giant” “Sing to the Grave” “The Path of Suffering”
Suffer In Hell will be released globally on November 11, 2022, while Suffer In Heaven will arrive on March 17, 2023. Preorder here. Preorder bundles include limited edition vinyl variants (only 500 produced) and a new merch line.
Why is popular music today mostly electronic with pitch correction? It all sounds the same. What ever happened to true appreciation of talented musicians playing actual instruments and the ability to sing without autotune. Have we as a culture gone fast food with our music?
In the past, dedication, love of music, a lot of practice time and most importantly talent were how bands became successful. What it takes now is a large social media following and a laptop. Have we lost our ability to discern what good music is?
The hard rock and metal scene in the past decade has seen decline. While there are still bands out there that are popular, there has been a decrease in the number of new bands that are able to break the mainstream barrier.
The younger generation is more in favor of solo acts powered by auto tune, a computer and disinterest in rock and metal bands. Ageism plays a huge role in these arguments because fear of change comes out roaring since people tend to hold onto memories. They tend to forget that the music of their generation also had artists that were lacking and some bands induced a moral panic among the elders. This is part of what fuels parent-child conflict. The concept of morality differentiates between generations.
MTV changing their format into reality shows instead of music videos could be part of the reason. There are plenty of reasons why MTV, the Music Television, stopped playing music videos, such as competition on TV, short-form content, a small audience, lack of new content, and new platforms like YouTube and music apps. For these reasons, MTV had to change its approach to survive.
Lyrics are severely lacking today. Most notably mumble rap artists. Most mainstream rappers nowadays rap about money, sex and drugs. The rap artists from the past were story tellers and could hold notes. The same goes for R&B groups and pop artists. They played instruments, could sing well and wrote more intelligent, thought provoking lyrics.
Part of the problem is radio. Radio is the most listened to medium. The issue with many of the mainstream radio stations are they want to promote the kind of music that’s deemed commercially viable and aesthetically pleasing which leads to quality and lyrical content being overlooked or dismissed.
Politics play a role as well with aesthetic and monetary value over quality and talent. The end result is lukewarm, sterile and hollow music with cultural asphyxiation.
The artists that do their best to assert their authenticity and bring new sound is often pushed aside either because of moral panic or fear of change. This happens even more so these days due to corporatism being allowed to go unchecked if you will. However, there are artists who manage to slip through the cracks to get their sound broadcast through a broader audience.
Certain genres receive more airplay than others because that’s how fashion trends and to a certain extent, identity politics work. Since the politics have changed, so will the dynamic. We will see more low quality content coming from many radio stations these days. It’s gotten to the point where the underground and peripheral stations have become a key source for anyone craving their favorite brand of unedited music. With the internet having come of age this will also play a big role in music distribution.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. I am seeing more and more great original artists putting their work out there. More websites and promoters toiling day and night to get their music into view. Theres a fair amount of music apps dedicated to inundate the masses with tons of bands and artists both underground and a little more well known. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the vast amount of local live shows, concerts, festivals and world tours that have been on the upswing, so in conclusion things may be looking up but ultimately its up to all of us to change the course of events and share and support all of these amazing music artists any way we can to bring back great quality music.
Ozzy Osbourne has released the third installment, “Nothing Feels Right”, from his new album Patient Number 9 which will arrive this Friday, September 9 and features his longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde.
Its a soulful ballad thats reminiscent of 80’s Ozzy meets Black Sabbath. The song is somber poetry of deep inner vision. It speaks volume’s of what Ozzy has been living with the past few years written in cryptic lyrics.
Ozzy has since undergone major surgery and is in hight spirits and is doing quite well. He and his wife Sharon are moving back to the UK and will begin production on a new BBC reality show Home To Roost. Ozzy will also be performing at halftime of the Los Angeles Rams season opener on Thursday, September 8 at SoFi Stadium. The performance comes on the eve of the release of Osbourne’s new PATIENT NUMBER 9 album out September 9 on Epic.
Ozzy will be at a special in-store appearance and signing at Fingerprints Music in Long Beach, California on Saturday, September 10, the day after the LP’s release. Attendees will need to pre-order a copy of “Patient Number 9” to attend the event as Ozzy will only be signing copies of the new album. In order to sign as many copies as possible, the new album will be the only item signed. Masks will be required for all attendees and no photos with Ozzy will be permitted. Click here to reserve your copy.
Lyrics For Nothing Feels Right
Count the seconds, catch my breath Feelings come and go again Count my blessings, hope they hear me too, too Trapped inside this spider web Scared of life and scared of death Trapped inside these walls I built of doom, doomWon’t you let me, won’t you let me through? (Ah-ah-ah-ah) Don’t regret me even when I doI’ve been calling out for someone Mouth around the gun Nothing feels right Nothing feels right All the pain gets trapped in my lungs Drowning in my blood Nothing feels right Nothing feels right
01. “Patient Number 9” (feat. Jeff Beck) 02. “Immortal” (feat. Mike McCready) 03. “Parasite” (feat. Zakk Wylde) 04. “No Escape From Now” (feat. Tony Iommi) 05. “One Of Those Days” (feat. Eric Clapton) 06. “A Thousand Shades” (feat. Jeff Beck) 07. “Mr. Darkness” (feat. Zakk Wylde) 08. “Nothing Feels Right” (feat. Zakk Wylde) 09. “Evil Shuffle” (feat. Zakk Wylde) 10. “Degradation Rules” (feat. Tony Iommi) 11. “Dead And Gone” 12. “God Only Knows” 13. “Darkside Blues”
The official PANTERA social media page has posted a teaser for the band’s upcoming reunion tour. The clip features the opening for PANTERA‘s classic song “Cowboys From Hell”.
There’s no official announcements yet but there are rumors that PANTERA might be playing Brazil’s Knotfest in Mexico’s Hell & Heaven Metal Fest in December.
Last month, it was confirmed that PANTERA‘s surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will be noined by guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a Pantera world reunion tour.
They will headline major festivals in North America and Europe and stage some of their own headlining shows.
According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band’s founders, drummer Vincent “Vinnie Paul” Abbott and guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who last year said Wylde wouldn’t tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It’s unclear what changed his mind.
Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag‘s death.
The singer and lead guitarist made a surprise appearance together at the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. Iommi and Osbourne performed their classic hit Paranoid, for the first time together since 2017.
An honorary bench sits on Black Sabbath Bridge over the canal in Broad Street, Birmingham
Signatories to the letter from the cross-bench group of MPs also include the Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward, and deputy leader Brigid Jones.
Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, has also started a petition calling for the band to be recognised for their services to music and the city of Birmingham.
Metal music has been a controversial topic for years. Its been demonized, encountered satanic panic on more than one occasion and has also had its upside with scientific research proving how beneficial metal is for mental health.
Metal is seeing a resurgence with Festivals resuming after a three year long delay due to covid and through the Netflix’ top rating series Stranger Things representing metal bands such as Iron Maiden, Metallica and Dio but did you know there are A- List celebrities who boast of their fondness for metal. Below is a compiled list. Some may even surprise you.
Jim Carrey;
Jim has a love of metal bands such as Napalm Death and Cannibal Corpse. He even had Cannibal Corpse do a cameo in the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. How into metal Jim Carrey is seems permanently up for debate. He’s definitely at least interested in it, though.
Steven King;
The master of horror is a metalhead. He’s tweeted about Slayer, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, Metallica and Judas Priest. He also gave Anthrax a shout out saying, “You guys rock.” King is also known to write to loud music he finds inspiring.
Lady Gaga;
Lady Gaga is a self professed metal head. She collaborated with Metallica and is a fan of Anthrax, Iron Maiden and has said glam metal is a big influence in her music.
Nicolas Cage;
Nic Cage being a metalhead shouldn’t be surprising considering his son Weston Cage used to be in a black metal band which is pretty cool. Not only was he super supportive when it came to his son’s band, Eyes of Noctum, but he kept an open mind and let his son turn him onto metal. Weston once said in an interview that his dad was also into some other iconic black metal bands. “He likes Darkthrone and Satyricon as well,” Weston said of Nic’s taste in metal, as reported by Metal Injection.
Kristian Nairn;
Game of Thrones star Kristian Nairn, known by fans as Hodor is quite the metal fan. In addition to being an accomplished deejay, Nairn is also a lifelong metalhead who recently got to shred with ’80s thrash icon Megadeth.
While attending the European Hellfest music festival, Nairn posted an Instagram video of himself jamming with Dave Mustain and the band, captioning it, “Sometimes I don’t know how things happen.. haha”
Cameron Diaz, known for her films and beauty was a headbanging rocker chick as a kid. She said, “I banged my head quite a bit. I liked everything from Iron Maiden to Ozzy to AC/DC.” Diaz has also admitted that she used to only date metal heads guys with long hair in highschool.
Post Malone;
Post Malone likes to jam out to metal. Having played in a metalcore band in high school, Post would listen to metal. The artist has also covered Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,”Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name” with Royal Machines and banged his head to System of a Down and collaborated with Ozzy Osbourne.
Norman Reedus;
The Walking Dead’ Norman Reedus, loves metal. He took a gig with Anthrax, Death Angel and Slayer in the past to play bass. He also a got matching Lemmy tattoos with his Bff Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds.
Actor Sir Christopher Lee penned lyrics that are reminiscent of something Iron Maiden would write. “Does a man have to fight all his life only in death to take flight to the skies?/Warmongers vie to take my throne, no respect is ever shown.” These are lyrics from the song “Massacre of the Saxons” written by the British actor when he was 91 years old. Lee had a longstanding fascination with metal, which he channeled into his own music late in his life.
Prince Harry;
We don’t know how the Devil’s music got past the Queen’s Guards, but it found its way into Prince Harry’s headphones. According to actor and friend of Harry Dominic West, the Prince regularly listens to Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax and has them on shuffle. He’s also into Municipal Waste and Power Trip says West who by the way does not share his love for metal.
