Heavy Metal

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Photos: Megadeth + Motorhead at the Tsongas Arena

January 29, 2012
Megadeth and Motorhead perform live at the Tsongas Arena on January 29, 2012.
By DEREK KOUYOUMJIAN | February 03, 2012

Newton's New Art Center exposes heavy metal from within

The black art
Named for a Candlemass song, staged in a former church, and curated by a pair of noise-loving MassArt grads, the upcoming group show "We Still See the Black" brings a thunderous charge of wrathful, subtle, beguiling, and teeming contemporary art to Newton's New Art Center beginning September 15.
By CARLY CARIOLI | August 24, 2011

Why there won't ever be another 'Big Four' - and why that's a good thing

The state of metal
In April, thrash metal's self-billed "Big Four" — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax — played a one-off American show in the middle of the desert in Indio, California.
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | August 24, 2011

By | January 01, 0001

Death Ray Vision emerge from scrap metal

Veteran thrashers
Metal, being a musical genre based on extremes, embodies an ongoing war between conservative and radical forces.
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | April 19, 2011

Making sense of Contrast Eats the Slimey Green

Metal on metal
That Two series at the Port City is great for plenty of reasons — including the cheap beer, obviously — but that gig a couple Tuesdays back with Metal Feathers opening for Spouse on the big stage pretty much justifies the whole endeavor.
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 02, 2011

Photos: Motherboar at Great Scott

Motherboar | Great Scott | January 22, 2011
Motherboar perform at Great Scott on January 22, 2011.
By DEREK KOUYOUMJIAN | January 24, 2011

Sword and tailor

Warp Riders brings a new concept to metal
The concept of the rock opera strikes fear into the hearts of many — and rightly so. Yet heavy metal since Zeppelin has always been friendly to hobbity tales of mirth and mayhem.
By JONATHAN DONALDSON | October 13, 2010

By | January 01, 0001

The other side of heavy

Harvey Milk scramble your metal detector
Loving heavy rock is a two-step process. Step one is easy: you hear something heavier than you've ever heard before, and you realize, "This is my thing." Step two is a little trickier: you wonder, "What is 'heavy'?" If you can accept the idea that a certain set of limitations leads to ultimate heaviosity, then — kudos! — you are a metalhead.
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | March 02, 2010

Review: Brütal Legend

Brutal is one way to put it
The cover of Brütal Legend sports an interesting detail.
By MITCH KRPATA | October 16, 2009

Photos: Aerosmith, Dropkick Murphys at Comcast Center

Aerosmith and Dropkick Murphys, live at Comcast Center in Mansfield, June 16, 2009
Aerosmith and Dropkick Murphys, live at Comcast Center
By MARY OUELLETTE | June 19, 2009

Beauty in the beast

Mastodon, live at the Boston House of Blues, May 7, 2009
My Zen moment with Mastodon hit at about the point where the maelstrom of "The Czar, pt. I: Usurper" receded only to be replaced with the falling-down-stairs drum battery and faux Southern-rock riff twang and intentional pick squeals of "The Czar, pt. II: Escape."
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | May 11, 2009

Music seen: Clubber Lang, Antiseptic + Batshelter

Clubber Lang, Antiseptic + Batshelter at Geno's, April 10
Ah, Batshelter. What exactly are they? Punk, metal, a little of both, or something far more complex? Whichever, they've developed quite the following in the past few months.
By DAN CLARK | April 16, 2009

Ship, ahoy!

Pigboat proves metal can Float
Pigboat are not nu metal, or speed metal, or death metal, or glam metal, or any of the other metals, really.
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 15, 2009

Mastodon | Crack the Skye

Reprise (2009)
"Mastodon are a full-on metal band for people who think they're too cool to like metal," writes Will Hermes in his four-star Rolling Stone review of the latest from these veteran Atlanta bone crushers.
By MIKAEL WOOD | March 31, 2009

The outsiders

Ocean join the Pantheon
Ocean's album Pantheon of the Lesser — a two-track, hour-long, deconstructionist monster — is the linchpin of what's become an exciting moment for the Portland doom metal four-piece.
By CHRISTOPHER GRAY | February 25, 2009

Slay anything

Words fail the post-everything epics of Irepress
Boston's Irepress weren't supposed to be an instrumental band. What they've evolved into just happens to be too stylishly sinuous to lend itself to lots of words.
By BARRY THOMPSON | February 09, 2009

Slideshow: Metallica live at the Garden

TD Banknorth Garden, January 18, 2009
Metallica
By JOE HARRINGTON | January 20, 2009

The Big Hurt: Who charted?

Billboard's Hot Modern Rock Tracks
In order to serve you better, I'll be taking an occasional look at the charts and giving a brief rundown of the week in pop.
By DAVID THORPE | January 13, 2009

Interview: Crooked X

Your New Favorite Teenage Rock N Roll High School Metal Music Machine
Before I climb onto the enormo tour bus of Oklahoma modern rockers Crooked X, I meet up with them at a Dunkin' Donuts, and witness their drummer, Boomer, ask his road manager, with a straight face, if they have Egg McMuffins here.
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | January 09, 2009

Sonic youth

California Smile bring the noise
After a pair of successful record-release gigs at Firehouse 13, Cali Smile will join an indie-rock bill on Friday (the 21st) at URI with locals the Coming Weak, the Noise Campaign, and Warwick's Dorado 30, to name a few — all for only $4 at the door.
By CHRIS CONTI | November 19, 2008

Rock and rote

Three decades in, AC/DC’s conservatism pays off
Three decades in, AC/DC’s conservatism pays off
By DANIEL BROCKMAN | November 10, 2008

Another Nail in the coffin

A driving new album for Halloween and Election Day
Big Coffin Hunters are no big fans of McCain/Palin, the Bushies, or neo-cons, either, and their new album, Drive Another Nail , manages toss in a little political commentary amongst fun macabre metal tunes.
By SAM PFEIFLE | October 29, 2008

Pump up the Volume

A Twisted Roots retrospective (with five new songs)
Nowadays, it’s hard to remember that Twisted Roots ever broke up in the first place.
By SAM PFEIFLE | October 16, 2008

Hotter than ever

A rich lineup at the Hot Club Waterfront Festival
The Hot Club Waterfront Festival returns this weekend with a lineup as diverse as the melting pot of 21-plus partygoers who will fill South Water Street throughout the weekend.
By CHRIS CONTI | September 03, 2008

Motörhead

Motörizer | Steamhammer/SPV
In these unsettling times of geopolitical instability around the globe and economic chaos here at home, it’s nice to know that we can depend on Motörhead.
By MIKAEL WOOD | September 02, 2008

By | January 01, 0001

A six-pack for the Fourth

Looking for the right buzz for your Independence party?
There’s no better holiday for throwing back a few cold ones and listening to tunes on the dock, boat, front lawn, or backyard, and there are plenty of discs I’ve been meaning to make people aware of.
By SAM PFEIFLE | July 02, 2008

Testosterowned

Only Living Witness at the Middle East Downstairs, June 21, 2008
Thirteen years is a long time in heavy metal, but as the eerie distended melody of Only Living Witness filled the Middle East downstairs on Saturday, time flickered and then collapsed.
By JAMES PARKER | June 24, 2008