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Venamoris, the duo of ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and his wife Paula, have announced their sophomore album, To Cross or To Burn, out February 28th via Ipecac Recordings.

The group also offered up a new single, a cover rendition of Scorpions’ “Animal Magnetism” that re-invents the song as a brooding industrial/darkwave piece. The lyrics and vocals (handled by Paula) are the only immediately recognizable elements from the original, as the Lombardos morph the arrangement with synth stabs and droning guitars. Dave’s West Coast thrash cohort Gary Holt also makes an appearance near the halfway point, ripping through a solo.

“The first rock concert I ever attended was on May 25, 1980, with Scorpions opening for Ted Nugent’s ‘Scream Dream’ tour,” recalled Dave in a press release. “We (Slayer) had covered a couple Scorpions songs in the early years but I never would have thought of re-imagining one of their songs at that time.

The 2025 installment of Sick New World Festival has been canceled.

The one-day festival was to take place at Las Vegas Festival Grounds on April 12th, 2025, featuring a lineup led by headliners Metallica and Linkin Park, plus Queens of the Stone Age, Evanescence, Gojira, AFI, Tomahawk, Ministry, Tomahawk, Acid Bath, and more.

Organizers announced the festival’s cancelation in a statement released on Friday, November 29th. “Despite our best efforts, we’ve encountered unforeseen circumstances that we are unable to overcome for next year’s show,” they said. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the dedicated Snw fans who had made plans to join us for another cultural celebration of hard rock, goth, alternative, and heavy music. Please stay tuned for further and future information regarding Sick New World.”

Tickets will be automatically refunded to the original method of payment within 30 days.

Rumors of Sick New World’s cancelation initially...

Napalm Death and Melvins have announced the “Savage Imperial Death March Part II” US co-headlining tour, set for Spring 2025.

The extensive outing kicks off April 4th in San Diego and runs through May 27th in Denver. Along the way, Napalm Death and Melvins will also be making a stop at Sick New World on April 12th in Las Vegas.

The co-headlining gigs feature a stacked rotation of support acts: Weedeater (April 4th to May 5th); Titan to Tachyons featuring Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn (May 7th to 20th); The Hard-Ons with Jerry A (May 22nd to June 7th); and Shane Embury’s Dark Sky Burial, the solo project of the longtime Napalm Death bassist, on all dates.

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An artist ticket pre-sale starts on Wednesday (November 20th) at 10 a.m. local time using the code Stonerwitch, while a Live Nation ticket pre-sale for select...

Theo Lengyel, a member of Mr. Bungle from 1985 through 1996, has been found guilty of first-degree murder after a six-week trial in Santa Cruz Superior Court surrounding the death of his girlfriend Alice Herrmann. He is expected to get life in prison when he is sentenced on November 7th.

Lengyel was a founding member of Mr. Bungle, playing saxophone and keyboards on the band 1980s demos as well as their first two proper studio albums, 1991’s self-titled effort and 1995’s Disco Volante.

He was arrested at the beginning of this year in connection with Herrmann’s murder after previously being named a “person of interest” in her disappearance.

When the trial began in early September, Lengyel’s counsel actually admitted that Lengyel killed Herrmann, instead focusing on achieving a lesser conviction than first-degree murder. “The evidence will find that Lengyel killed her but also that he loved her,” stated defense attorney...

Theo Lengyel, a founding member of the avant-garde jazz-metal group Mr. Bungle, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of his girlfriend in December 2023.

The Santa Cruz jury deliberated for just one day before handing down the guilty verdict Friday against Lengyel, who now faces life in prison when he’s sentenced in November.

Police in Capitola, California, arrested the 55-year-old musician on January 3, one month after his girlfriend Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann went missing on December 3, 2023. Herrmann’s remains were later found in Berkeley, California’s Tilden Regional Park,...

Low Flying Hawks have announced a new album titled Makebelieve, featuring a rhythm section of Melvins’ Dale Crover on drums and Mr. Bungle’s Trevor Dunn on bass. In advance of the album’s October 25th release, the band has unveiled the single “Out for Blood.”

Crover and Dunn have served as the rhythm section on previous albums from Low Flying Hawks, whose mysterious core members include guitarist Aal and vocalist Eha. Makebelieve follows a trilogy of connected albums that are comprised of Kofuku (2015), Genkaku (2017), and Fuyu (2021).

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“The record is about how the world changed when everyone started not believing anything and being very aggressive,” stated Aal. “Everything was peaceful, and suddenly everyone was barking back. It goes deeper too. With A.I., you just don’t know what to believe. It’s like the world was out for blood. Who did this?...

Melvins’ King Buzzo (aka Buzz Osborne) and Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn have unveiled a video for their song “Eat the Spray.”

The duo is set kick off the extensive “King Dunn” US tour on August 1st in Pioneertown, California (get tickets here). To mark the occasion, the pair will offer the four-song 12-inch vinyl Eat the Spray exclusively at the merch table on the upcoming run.

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The video for “Eat the Spray” was created by Berlin-based, Seattle-born animator Colin Raff. The pseudo goth-psych puppet show meshes well against the track’s haunting acoustic instrumentation and Dunn’s bowed bass. It certainly impressed Buzzo.

“I love this video!” King Buzzo enthused via the press release. “Probably the best video I’ve ever been involved with.”

The project sees the duo ditching the amps for acoustic instrumentation, with Buzzo on vocals/acoustic guitar and...

Mr. Bungle welcomed a special guest for a cover of Van Halen’s “Loss of Control” at the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium on Saturday (June 22nd). None other than Wolfgang Van Halen joined Mike Patton and company for a rousing version of the tune off 1980’s Women and Children First.

“Loss of Control” has made its way into Mr. Bungle’s setlist several times over the past few years. Shortly after the passing of Eddie Van Halen, Patton told Heavy Consequence that he was a big fan of Van Halen, and that Women and Children First had a profound impact on his musical sensibilities.

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“I remember getting that fucking record and hugging it when I got home and listening to it,” Patton recalled. “Actually, it was a cassette. Yeah, I hugged a cassette!”

Mr. Bungle shared footage of the Graspop performance on Instagram,...

Ipecac Recordings, the indie label co-founded by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton, is celebrating its 25th anniversary by reissuing three Fantômas albums on vinyl.

Werckman and Patton founded Ipecac in 1999 to release the self-titled debut by Fantômas — the experimental rock supergroup featuring Patton alongside Buzz Osborne, Dave Lombardo, and Trevor Dunn. The idea was to retain all creative control following Patton’s major label experiences with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle, and Ipecac has remained a vital and active underground label since its formation.

Expanding out from Fantômas, Ipecac has since released albums by the likes The Melvins, Mr. Bungle, Isis, Faith No More, Eagles of Death Metal, Dälek (whose debut Negro Necro Nekros is also being reissued for the 25th anniversary), and many more.

“A label does not last 25 years without consumer support,” said Werckman via a press release. “We are not the biggest or hippest record label,...

The Melvins have offered up “Allergic to Food,” the second single from their forthcoming album Tarantula Heart.

The band manages to convey the sonic equivalent of being stricken by a food allergy and all the instant anxiety that comes with it. Unwieldy guitars clash against a foray of unrelenting percussion, immediately calling to mind the hyper noise rock of Melt Banana. And there’s no coming up for air, as Dale Crover and Roy Mayorga’s dueling drum tracks continue to compound on one another in a tornadic flurry.

It’s certainly the flip side of the slower and sludgier lead single “Working the Ditch,” though both tracks showcase the might of the Melvins’ expanded lineup on the new album.

“The way we approached Tarantula Heart was different than any other Melvins’ album,” said frontman Buzz Osborne upon the album’s announcement. “I had Dale and Roy come in and...

The Melvins have announced a new album, Tarantula Heart, and shared the video for “Working the Ditch” ahead of the LP’s April 19th release date.

Billed as one of the veteran band’s most eccentric records to date, Tarantula Heart sees King Buzzo and company in collaboration with Ministry drummer Ray Mayorga and We Are the Asteroid guitarist and longtime Melvins associate Gary Chester, supplementing the group’s core lineup.

As heard on “Working the Ditch,” the additional instrumentalists result in new musical textures and an expanded sound, featuring double-tracked drums — Mayorga and Dale Crover’s takes stacked and edited together — and Chester’s lead guitar, which creates a post-metal haze against Buzzo’s more brutal riffs and barked vocals.

“The way we approached Tarantula Heart was different than any other Melvins’ album,” explained King Buzzo, aka Buzz Osborne, via the album press release. “I had Dale and Roy Mayorga...

Melvins frontman King Buzzo (aka Buzz Osborne) and Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn are teaming up for a Summer 2024 US tour that will see the two musicians performing acoustically together. Butthole Surfers bassist Jd Pinkus will serve as the opening act.

The extensive outing, dubbed the “King Dunn Tour,” kicks off August 1st in Pioneertown, California, and runs through a September 26th show in Phoenix, Arizona. Tickets to select shows go on sale this Friday (January 26th) via Ticketmaster, with the rest available via links on the Ipecac Recordings website. Fans can also check for deals or pick up tickets to sold-out shows via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

Osborne and Dunn have a long history of collaboration, as both are members of the supergroup Fantômas. Dunn also played on King Buzzo’s 2020 album, Gift of Sacrifice, and recorded with Osborne and Dale Crover...

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Despite what you may have heard, ska music is no joke. It’s a vital, multifaceted genre with a global impact and thriving community. The Consequence Podcast Network is proud to stake our two-toned flag on that belief by welcoming the latest addition to our roster, In Defense of Ska. Check out the trailer above, and follow the series wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted by renowned music journalist and author Aaron Carnes and veteran ska musician Adam Davis, In Defense of Ska is based on Carnes’ best-selling, soon-to-be-expanded book of the same name.

The weekly series dives deep into ska music’s rich history and unique culture to challenge mainstream misperceptions and celebrate the genre’s enduring legacy. Featuring insightful conversations with ska legends, emerging artists, comedians, and other culture figures who share Carnes and Davis’ deep appreciation for ska,...

Theo Lengyel, once an integral member of the avant-garde jazz-metal group Mr. Bungle, is now a murder suspect accused of killing his girlfriend, Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann, last month.

Police in Capitola, California, arrested the musician, age 54, on Tuesday and booked him on one count of first-degree murder in Santa Cruz County Jail. He is being held without bail, according to Kron.

San Francisco Chronicle reports that Lengyel had been a “person of interest” since Herrmann, 61, went missing on Dec. 3. Human remains, which authorities believe to be Herrmann’s, were found in Tilden Regional Park,...

Former Mr. Bungle member Theo Lengyel has been arrested in connection with the homicide of his girlfriend Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann, a resident of Capitola, California.

Lengyel was taken into custody by the Capitola Police Department on Tuesday (January 2nd) after previously being named a “person of interest” in the investigation.

Relatives of the victim reported her missing on December 12th after a week-long lapse in contact. A missing-person investigation was launched, and her vehicle was then found in front of Lengyel’s home.

According to investigators, Lengyel did not cooperate with police and was subsequently named a suspect when “it became clear that foul play was involved,” per a press release from the Capitola Police Department. Lengyel was also reported to have traveled from El Cerrito, California, to Portland, Oregon, in the days surrounding Herrmann’s disappearance.

The press release states that investigators later discovered human remains in a...

Former Mr. Bungle member Theo Lengyel is currently a “person of interest” in the disappearance of his girlfriend Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann. According to the El Cerrito Police Department in California, Lengyel “has not cooperated with the police investigation.”

Lengyel was a member of Mr. Bungle from 1985 through 1996, playing on their early 1986 demo The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, as well as their studio albums Mr. Bungle (1991) and Disco Volante (1995), among other releases. The multi-instrumentalist primarily played saxophone for the band, as well as clarinet and keyboards.

He left the group in 1996 due to creative differences, and is not part of Mr. Bungle’s current reunion lineup of classic members Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, and Trevor Dunn alongside Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo.

The case is being treated as a “missing person / homicide investigation,” with the police bulletin reading as follows:

“The El Cerrito Police Department is investigating the...

A surprise Fantômas reunion took place Wednesday night (May 24th) in Oakland, California, during the final show of Mr. Bungle’s “Geek Show” tour with Melvins.

The reunion wasn’t too far out of the realm of possibility considering three of the band’s four members — Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, and Dave Lombardo — are currently in Mr. Bungle. Once Buzz Osborne of Melvins took the stage, the supergroup’s lineup was complete, along with the bonus additions of Bungle guitarists Trey Spruance and Scott Ian.

Osborne sat in with Mr. Bungle for a rendition of The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo track “Sudden Death” before the group launched into Fantômas’ cover of Henri Mancini‘s “Experiment in Terror” (featured on the band’s 2001 album The Director’s Cut). Fan footage captured the performance, which went off without a hitch as the band nailed the intricate loud-soft dynamics.

Fantômas...

Mr. Bungle have announced a new leg of east coast shows for September 2023, including their first dates in most of the cities in more than 20 years.

Battles will support the short trek, which kicks off September 5th in Baltimore and runs through September 15th in Detroit. The route also includes two Canadian dates in Montreal and Toronto on September 12th and 13th, respectively.

A Live Nation ticket pre-sale for select dates begins Thursday (April 13th) at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster using the code Vinyl. General ticket sales begin Friday (April 14th) at 10 a.m. Et. Alternatively, you can pick up tickets via StubHub — where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.

The outing will follow Mr. Bungle’s previously announced spring stateside jaunt — the revived “Geek Show Tour” — with Melvins and Spotlights. Those dates run throughout May and will mainly hit West Coast markets.

Editor's Pick Mr.

Wilco’s Nels Cline has dropped a new song from his ongoing side project, the Nels Cline Singers, “Beam/Spiral,” off the upcoming album Share the Wealth, out November 13th via Blue Note.

“Beam/Spiral” is a sprawling composition that begins with an atmospheric, cool jazz feel, but builds steadily into a driving rhythm before exploding into a finale that feels both chaotic and concise. The track arrives with an animated video, directed by Yuka Honda, that perfectly matches the song’s exploratory aura.

Cline said of the song: “It...

The Melvins’ Buzz Osborne has shared a sprawling new song, “Delayed Clarity,” from his upcoming album as King Buzzo with Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn. The record, Gift of Sacrifice, is out August 14th via Ipecac Recordings.

The track opens with a long instrumental intro, as a simple acoustic guitar strum drifts above an atmospheric hum and the periodic footsteps of Dunn’s bass. The song begins to open up as King Buzzo’s vocals enter the track alongside jagged strings, both of which guide “Delayed Clarity” to strange but mesmerizing places.

As the world fights a pandemic, we’ve been reaching out to some of our favorite artists to get their takes on these unprecedented times. Here’s what Melvins singer-guitarist Buzz Osborne — who’s readying Gift of Sacrifice, an excellent new acoustic disc with Mr. Bungle and Tomahawk bassist Trevor Dunn — had to say in response to a few quarantine questions via email. (Osborne and Dunn’s May tour dates in support of the album have been canceled, but as of press time, the June and July shows are still on.

Mr. Bungle is back in the recording studio for the first time since 1999's California album. There have been some personnel changes for this incarnation of the band in order to fit into what they're currently doing. Like the reunion tour, they're tackling the band's first-ever demo, 1986's The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, with ex-Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Anthrax's Scott Ian on second guitar. Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, and Trey Spruance are the only original members included on this upcoming recording.

The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny is a full on thrash metal assault, which is quite different for what Mr. Bungle is traditionally known for. The demo was never officially released, though it has been bootlegged numerous times over the years with excruciatingly terrible quality. However hardcore fans have loved it for over 30 years and new fans keep discovering it. As for the band, they're...

After fronting the Melvins for more than 30 years and helping create grunge (despite his conflicted feelings on the genre), singer-guitarist Buzz Osborne released his first solo album in 2014. King Buzzo’s This Machine Kills Artists featured heavy acoustic riffs and droney grooves and proved the musical pioneer is still hungry to find new sounds. More than five years later, Osborne has announced his second solo LP.

King Buzzo’s Gift of Sacrifice is out May 15, with an extensive tour behind it. The nine-song album sees Osborne joined by Mr. Bungle bass player Trevor Dunn.

Okay, it's time for me to stop trying to listen to more 2016 albums and just wrap up this list. In the past I would split my jazz list into a new releases part dedicated to current recordings and a historical part combining first releases of archival material with reissues. This year I'm skipping reissues, partly because some projects were so gargantuan that little guys like me weren't serviced with them, partly because the vinyl renaissance means everything is being reissued at once, and partly because so much stuff is just rehashing the same material in new packaging, with or without a gimmick or a little additional material added. So first releases of archival material are lumped in here. Maybe that's not entirely fair to the current guys, but on the other hand I don't include many archival items on my list.

1. Matthew Shipp & Bobby Kapp: Cactus (Northern Spy)

Two generations...

The success of Disney's The Jungle Book, which employs a hybrid of motion capture CGI and live action to bring these characters to life, may have inspired a Broadway sensation to make the leap to the big screen. Les Miserables director Tom Hooper has signed a deal to figure out how to properly turn the hit stage show Cats into a movie. The filmmaker has only signed a research and development deal, meaning the movie isn't set in stone at this point. And even if it does move forward, it won't happen for some time.

The Daily Mail reports that Tom Hooper will be working with a development team at Working Title Films, along with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who crafted the music for the live stage show. If they decide to move forward, nothing will happen on the project until at least late 2017, or early 2018, so we may not...

My alienation from current pop is almost complete; the only 2013 Top 40 material I enjoyed enough to play repeatedly was Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, from an album released in 2012. So I am officially a cranky old fart. But there are more and more of us, and maybe fellow COFs will find this list useful. By the way, crossing that border of alienation made me think more than ever that saying my lists are of the "best" albums is nearly absurd, hence the new headline.

1. Wire: Change Becomes Us (Pink Flag)

This is my favorite Wire of this century thanks to more emphasis on Colin Newman's brooding. When allied to their chugging motorik beats, it's irresistible to me. There are still some uptempo burners that recall their beginnings in punk, and some more whimsical though still musically solid songs, but it's Newman's dark musings that made me play this repeatedly.

2. Kitchens of...

Melvins have announced an April 30 release for Everybody Loves Sausages, an album of covers of songs the band says have had a big influence on them. The tracks covered range from glam rock (Queen's “Best Friend”) to mod rock (The Jam's "Art School”), with plenty of hard rock and even Divine's "Female Trouble" thrown in for good measure. Everybody Loves Sausage also features several guest musicians like Mudhoney’s Mark Arm and Neurosis’ Scott Kelly, as well as some tracks recorded by the “Melvins Lite” lineup of Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover, and Trevor Dunn. Check out ...

After six years of relative dormancy, alt-rock supergroup Tomahawk is back with a new record, Oddfellows, to be released next January on Ipecac Records. The band will also be playing its first live shows in nearly a decade with stops at the Voodoo Music And Arts Experience in New Orleans and Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest. Tomahawk is comprised of recently ex-Jesus Lizard member Duane Denison, Trevor Dunn (Fantomas, Melvins, Mr. Bungle), Mike Patton (Mondo Cane, Faith No More, Mr. Bungle), and John Stanier (Battles, Helmet). Oddfellows was recorded live, with all the members in one room over six ...

Derek Cianfrance and Ryan Gosling followed up their 2010 film Blue Valentine by shooting The Place Beyond the Pines, a film in which Gosling plays a motorcycle stunt rider and criminal (a familiar role for him) who tangles with a cop (Bradley Cooper) in the beginning of a conflict that involves their sons, as well. The movie also features Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, and Ray Liotta, and is said to be inspired by Jack London. But the sonic palette of the film might be slightly more modern, as the score is being written by Mike Patton, best known for his work with Faith No More, Mr. Bungle and Fantomas. That's not a choice I ever would have expected, but it might be pretty awesome. The news comes via a press release from Patton's publicist; there is no info other than that Cianfrance chose Patton for the gig.

Fant&#244mas, the eclectic supergroup featuring Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk, Peeping Tom), Buzz Osborne (Melvins), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, MadLove) and Melvins' drummer Dale Crover filling in for Dave Lombardo (Slayer), release The Director's Cut Live: A New Years Revolution on DVD and as a standalone audio download on Sept. 6 via Ipecac Recordings. Filmed at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, the DVD features audio commentary by comedian Neil Hamburger. We have a look at the trailer from this upcoming release, which you can check out below.

Click to watch Director's Cut Live: A New Years Revolution DVD Trailer!

Director's Cut Live: A New Years Revolution is in stores now.

Lee Eisenberg's Shoptimism? Whoop-doo!

I'm broke. This is no new revelation. I've been heading down this road for a while. I work. I make a decent enough living. But there's no middle ground, and the weight is suddenly bearing upon my pocket book. All of my cash is going directly into bills, food, and gas. There is nothing left over. This wasn't always the case. How did I let this happen? Credit Card bills? A little. Everything I have put on credit has been a necessity that I couldn't afford in the moment. It's the socioeconomic cries of our times that have gotten me down. We're supposed to be coming out of a recession. And personally, I thought I wasn't being affected. I could at least still buy a DVD or two come payday.

Not anymore. I took on the challenge of becoming a single paycheck household in the...